Hyderabad: The Telangana health ministry on Friday clarified that both vaccines to fight COVID-19—Serum Institute’s co-developed Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s indigenously developed Covaxin—are trusted and safe to be taken by citizens.
“To avoid and contain the COVID-19 infection, we must take the vaccine which is very safe and efficient. Both Covisshield or Covaxin are trusted to be taken by the citizens,” said Dr. Srinivas Rao.
The Director of Medical Education, Dr. K Ramesh Reddy and Director of Public Health, Dr. G Srinivas Rao addressed media ahead of the massive inoculation drive that is to begin on Saturday.
Around 139 session sites across Telangana will be virtually connected to the COVID-19 vaccination drive to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday at 10.30 am.
Addressing the media, Director of Public Health Dr. Srinivas Rao, said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive on 16 January 2021 via video conferencing, over 3,000 session sites across the country that will be virtually connected during the launch. In Telangana, around 139 session sites have been established across the state for the COVID-19 vaccine drive.”
Rao further stated that in the first phase of the drive, health workers— both from government and private institutions, along with sanitation workers, various frontline workers, defence forces, and police officers will be vaccinated. Besides, citizens above 50 years of age and serious patients will receive the COVID-19 vaccine from January 16.
Furthermore, Srinivas Rao explained that each center will be provided with 30 doses of COVID-19 vaccination and later it will be increased to 100 doses. On Saturday, the doses will be supplied to 33 districts of Telangana.
Director of Medical Education, Dr. K Ramesh Reddy said, ” Telangana state received the first batch of 3 lakh eighty thousand doses of two indigenous COVID-19 vaccines — Covishield by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech. And fifty thousand have already been given to the health workers.”
Telangana State Health Minister Eatala Rajender will visit the COVID-19 vaccine centers on Saturday.
A 24×7 call center – 1075 – has been established for addressing the queries related to COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software.