Covid-19 vaccine drive: Frontline workers in Vizag receive shots during second phase

The second phase of Covid-19 vaccine programme commenced on 3 February in Vizag. Frontline workers from Panchayati Raj, municipal, revenue, and police departments will be vaccinated in this phase.

Speaking to Yo!, Visakhapatnam District Immunisation Officer, Dr Jeevana Rani, informed that Covid-19 vaccines are being administered at 322 session centres in the region. Sharing further details, “We are utilising the session centres (sites) based on our requirements. Currently, we are administering vaccines to only Panchayat Raj, municipal, and revenue officials in the district. As the Police Department has a different set of guidelines to be followed, they will be receiving shots at a later stage.” Shedding light on the turnout rate of the beneficiaries, she said that around 20,000 healthcare workers in Vizag had taken the jab during the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccine drive.

On Thursday, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) officials received the Covid-19 vaccine. Taking to Twitter, the civic body shared, “Examiner of Accounts, GVMC, Y Mangapathi Rao and CMOH, Dr KSLG Sastry got vaccinated for COVID-19 at Swarnabharathi UHC.”

As many as 22,490 beneficiaries under the GVMC limits will receive vaccine shots at PHCs and UHCs in Vizag, during the second phase. On the state level, 89,100 policemen, 1.55 lakh municipal employees, and 3.3 lakh revenue employees’ names have been registered on the Co-Win app for the second phase of vaccination in Andhra Pradesh. As many as 16.3 lakh vaccine shots were allotted to the state.

It may be recalled that on 16 January, kickstarting the vaccination drive in Vizag, AMC Principal, Dr PV Sudhakar had taken the first Covid-19 vaccine shot in the district. He was administered the Covishield vaccine shot in the presence of Visakhapatnam District Collector Vinay Chand and other district officials. In a subsequent conversation with Yo! Vizag, Dr Sudhakar advocated the vaccine by assuring safety and effectiveness. He further said that there is no need for any fear or hesitations regarding the Covid-19 vaccination.