Logistics ready in district to receive vaccine for launch from Jan. 16

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru district is all set to receive its first tranche of COVID-19 vaccine to launch vaccination drive from Jan. 16 as already announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

“We are getting 70,000 vials of Covishield vaccine for the district to give two doses for 33,000 healthcare workers plus bio-medical handlers in the first round of inoculation. 

The District Vaccine Store (DVS) situated adjacent to the office of the District Health Officer (DHO) is ready to receive and store the vaccine from where it will be distributed to other health facilities in the district,” Dr. L. Ravi, Reproductive and Child Health Officer and COVID-19 Immunisation Officer, told Star of Mysore this morning.

He said Mysuru, being divisional headquarters in South Karnataka, has been identified as Regional Vaccine Store (RVS) from where vaccine would be supplied to Mandya, Hassan, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts which have been categorised as DVS.

Technically, the vaccine vials would come to Mysuru and from here, it would be dispatched to neighbouring districts in designated ice coolers.

In Mysuru Division, there are five DVS — Mysuru DVS, Mandya DVS, Kodagu DVS, Hassan DVS and Chamarajanagar DVS — six Block Vaccine Stores (BVS) and 497 Cold Chain Points (CCPs). Out of which, there will be 6 BVS and 162 CCPs in Mysuru DVS; 120 CCPs in Mandya DVS; 39 CCPs in Kodagu DVS; 108 CCPs in Hassan DVS; 68 CCPs in Chamarajanagar DVS.

Centralised monitoring

Dr. Ravi said that each DVS has been interlinked to the main server in Delhi from where all the vaccine stores across the country would be monitored. Temperature at vaccine storage room, number of vaccine available and other things related to vaccine would be monitored 24×7 from Delhi. In each DVS, pharmacist had been deployed who would be in-charge of cold storage units where the vaccine vials are stored. A diesel generator set had been provided to District Vaccine Point where all kinds of vaccines are kept. Even if power supply snaps, the generator will switch on automatically within seconds, he noted.

Change of role

The District Immunisation Officer said that the existing COVID-19 District War Room had been re-named as COVID-19 District Immunisation Control Room in view of changed role. Fifteen persons working in the Control Room would continue but with the different task of uploading details of beneficiaries in Central Government portals and also to attend calls from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) on vaccination status. Two National Informatic Centre (NIC) personnel currently working in Zilla Panchayat (ZP) had been deputed to the Control Room to supervise data uploading work. As usual, Dr. Sitalakshmi, District AYUSH Officer, Capt. Ashoka, Shivakumar and himself would continue to work as Nodal Officers of Immunisation Control Room which works from 9 am to 9 pm.

Syringes arrive

Already, around 80,000 Auto Disable syringes have been delivered to Mysuru to be used exclusively for inoculating Covishield vaccine. Speciality of this type of syringe is that it cannot be re-used and it can be easily disposed of. Vaccinators have been trained in using this kind of syringe. It would be dispatched to all vaccination sites along with vaccine. Another stock of syringes are expected soon to be used for frontline workers and those above 50 years of age and below 50 years with comorbidities, he added.

900 vaccine carriers

Meanwhile, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar told reporters yesterday that vaccine would be sent to Regional Vaccine Stores (RVS) through 900 vaccine carriers. It would be further distributed to district centres there. As many as 24 lakh syringes have arrived and they would get 13.90 lakh vaccine vials in first phase. “It will take two months to vaccine the public. Experts opinion would be sought to decide whether everyone should be vaccinated or not. If at all required, elderly and vulnerable population would be administered vaccine,” he added.