Mysore/Mysuru: The much-awaited vaccination of citizens in the age group of 18 to 44 years started around 12 noon in city today. The delay in launching this new vaccination drive was due to late arrival of vaccine stock from Bengaluru. The vaccines, which were supposed to reach here on Sunday evening, came past midnight. This hampered the beginning of vaccination at around 10 am.

In city, vaccination for this age group has been arranged at District Hospital and Charaka Hospital, opposite PKTB Hospital on KRS Road. In Taluks, it is held in all Taluk General Hospitals. The dispatch of the vaccine stock to all Taluks took place this morning.

Good response

There was good response of citizens of this age group at both vaccination sites. There was serpentine queues near the vaccination sites. Since there was no on-the-spot registration, those who had registered their names online were present at the location. The Mysuru District has been allotted 8,500 doses of both Covishield and Covaxin vaccines from the State Government which had directly purchased them from the companies concerned, and providing them to citizens free of cost.

Staff shortage

Shortage of staff was crippling vaccination for this segment of population. There was a separate login for this category of population in CoWIN portal. The staff had a tough time as they had to login in four portals; for 18-plus beneficiaries, for second dose of 45 years plus population, for Covishield and another for Covaxin takers. 

The server was also very slow due to more number of people in the age group of 18 to 44 years registering their names for the much-needed vaccine. 

The existing staff was re-shuffled for this purpose. So far, the Government has not given permission to hold this drive in sub-centres (Private Hospitals).

Second dose

Dr. L. Ravi, Reproduction and Child Health Officer and Nodal Officer for COVID-19 vaccination in Government Hospitals, told SOM that the fresh stock of 14,500 doses of both vaccines arrived yesterday to be given as second dose for 45 years plus beneficiaries in the district.

The stock had almost ended and the vaccination of this category of population would have been stopped if the Government of India had not released the stock. The vaccination has been going on in all Government facilities and select Private Hospitals. This stock was sufficient to vaccinate people for the next 8-10 days, he added.

He said National Health Mission Officers have been given clear instructions that the vaccines released to district must be used only as second dose for 45 years plus beneficiaries, and it must not be diverted. The staff was maintaining two separate registers to enter the names of beneficiaries.

Token system

Token system has been introduced at both the Vaccination Centres to avoid crowding of people. Every day, only 150 persons are vaccinated at each site and only that much of tokens are issued, that too only for pre-registered and first-come-first-serve basis. A shamiana was put up outside the Charaka Hospital to accommodate beneficiaries.

Following total lockdown for the next two weeks starting from today, the Police allowed those vaccine taking persons after they showed the SMS containing details of vaccination site, date and time.