Covid vaccine: Noida gets nearly 29,000 doses, Ghaziabad 27,000

GHAZIABAD/NOIDA: The wait for the Covid vaccine is finally over, with Ghaziabad and Noida receiving consignments of Covishield on Thursday for the first round of vaccinations.
A total of 27,410 doses of Covishield arrived in Ghaziabad from Meerut on Thursday afternoon amidst tight security. Officials said the first batch has 2,741 vials of 10 doses each, which are being stored in the main vaccine store at MMG District Hospital under police vigil.

District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey and chief medical officer Dr NK Gupta, along with other administrative and health officials, received the vaccine amid clapping and jubilation.The DM made a swastika mark on the ice box in which the vaccine was transported and broke a coconut in front of the vaccine van before the consignment was shifted to the vaccine store located adjacent to the IDSP unit.
Pandey said, “The vaccine has been brought from LLRM College, Meerut. The vaccination will be strictly as per the protocol decided by the Centre. The security of the vaccine during transportation, storage and sessions is our top priority.”
On the inaugural day on Saturday, about 400 healthcare workers (HCWs) are expected to be vaccinated at four centres. Afterwards, the number of sessions will be expanded. Each HCW will be given intra-muscular doses at an interval of 28 days. The three centres for the inaugural session are District Women Hospital, Yashoda Hospital in Kaushambi, Community Health Centre in Dasna and Santosh Hospital.
“Every person getting the vaccine will be provided with a form in which the name of the vaccine brand, his name, address and mobile number will be mentioned. On the first day of the vaccination, he would be given this and asked to bring it on the next date. After the process is completed, he would be given a certificate,” the DM told TOI.
A total of 21,537 doctors and medical staff have been identified in Ghaziabad for vaccination in the first phase.
Meanwhile, 28,840 doses of the vaccine reached Noida amidst tight security on Thursday noon. The vaccine arrived at GB Nagar CMO Deepak Ohri’s office in Sector 39 and was placed in the district vaccine store there.
Covishield will be distributed at six centres on Saturday, the CMO said. A total of 24,453 health workers have been identified for vaccination. “On Saturday, 100 health workers will get vaccinated at each centre,” added Ohri.
DM Suhas LY also inspected the storage facility on Thursday. He directed health officials to ensure storage of the vaccine as per stipulated guidelines and address all issues that cropped up during the two dry runs held on January 5 and 11.
“Only Covishield has been received. There has been no delivery of Covaxin in GB Nagar,” said district immunisation officer Dr Neeraj Tyagi, who is in charge of Covid vaccination. The number of HCWs getting vaccinated in the district has now increased to 24,453. Vaccination will be carried out at Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Sharda University, Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute, Kailash Hospital and Bisrakh and Bhangel community centres.