Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Jan 13: As the State along with rest of the country is geared up for the mega Covid vaccination drive, the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines will be reaching Arunachal Pradesh by January 14, informed State Nodal Officer (NHM) Dr D Padung while talking to Echo of Arunachal.
The Covid vaccination drive is set to begin on January 16 (Saturday). As many as 30 crore frontline workers are expected to get the Covid-19 vaccine dose in the first phase, while in Arunachal Pradesh, nearly 32,000 health and other frontline workers will be inoculated.
He informed that the first batch of 32,000 vaccines meant for Arunachal Pradesh will reach Guwahati, Assam on January 14 morning from Pune, and it will be brought to the State by a special vaccine van on the same day.
Just after its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vaccination programme will be rolled out in five different hospitals across the State like TRIHMS, Naharlagun and District Hospitals of Tawang, Namsai, Pasighat and Yingkiong and the rest of the districts will start the drive from January 17, Dr Padung added.
Health workers and other frontline workers including police and armed forces personnel, civil defence are to get the life-saving vaccine dose in the first phase.
It may be mentioned that the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) had already approved two vaccines for Covid-19 – Oxford’s Covishield, being developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin – for emergency use. In the second phase, those above 50 years of age and with co-morbidities would be given a vaccine against the novel Coronavirus.