UDUPI: The second innings of the vaccination programme against COVID-19 got underway at four centres across Udupi district on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner G Jagadish took the first jab, followed by ZP CEO Dr Y Naveen Bhat, and Additional SP Kumarchandra to send out a clear intent of the administration that the vaccine is safe.
Found to be fit after the mandatory 30-minute observation period, DC said that the administration has prepared a list of 4,040 personnel who will receive the vaccine in the second phase to be held over the next five days.
These include 1,888 policemen, 357 employees of urban affairs department, 569 from revenue department, 1,210 from rural development and panchayati raj department and 16 from panchayati raj engineering division.
The vaccination sessions planned for Monday included 150 beneficiaries each at the district government hospital, Ajjarkadu and urban primary health centre here, and 193 beneficiaries at taluk hospital in Kundapur and 100 in taluk hospital in Karkala.
The district in the first phase held from January 16 that encompassed frontline health workers has seen 15,233 take the vaccine against targeted beneficiaries of 22,333, overall achievement of 60 percent.
Udupi district administration aims to rope in village accountants, panchayat development officers, revenue inspectors and all staff under panchayati raj department in the days to come.
DC G Jagadish also said the risks, if any, from the vaccine was minuscule compared to the danger that the pandemic posed to humanity at its height. “We have seen how the virus has affected people and the world was desperate for a vaccine. Now that the vaccine has come, it is our duty to take it and instill confidence in all rungs of bureaucracy that it is safe,” DC said.