Vaccines reach 9 cold chain points in Lko
A maximum of 100 beneficiaries to be vaccinated at each centre today
LUCKNOW: The Covid vaccines that will be used on the first day of the nationwide campaign on Saturday reached nine cold chain points from the district cold chain storage in Aishbagh here on Friday amid tight police security.
The vaccines would now be moved from these cold chain points to the 12 vaccination centres at 8am on Saturday, an hour before the vaccination is slated to begin. In all, Lucknow has 61 vaccination centres and 21 cold chain points. But 12 vaccine centres and nine cold chain points will operate on the first day.
The health staff have been asked to report before 8am at the respective centres. The vaccines would be moved from the cold chain points to vaccination centres in 5 to 40 minutes.
“We have had a trial where we checked the time taken for vaccines to reach the vaccination centre from the cold chain point and the maximum time was 40 minutes. This is safe and may be reduced on actual vaccine movement as the traffic department will manage the travel,” said Dr MK Singh, the officer in charge of the vaccination in Lucknow.
“Vaccine carrier vans ensure the vaccines are transported safe and under the cold chain process as per the requirement,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors. Three dry runs for the vaccination were conducted in Lucknow on January 2, 5 and 11.
On Saturday, each vaccination centre will be provided with 11 vials of the Covishield vaccine. Each vial has 10 doses. Hence all, vaccination centres will have 110 doses each, including 10 extra doses.
A maximum of 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at a centre on Day One.
A team of dozen police personnel had been deployed at each cold chain point and five were on active duty round the clock, said a health official. For instance, the cold chain points at Silver Jubilee hospital, the Aishbagh Urban Health Centre and at other such health establishments have police and health staff on round-the-clock duty.