Hyderabad: The Telangana government is ready to administer a scientifically approved Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to citizens, said chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday. He however added that the vaccine should be checked for any side effects before its administration.
KCR’s statements on the vaccine came after a video conference was held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and with chief ministers of all states in the country, wherein the method pertaining to distribution and administering of the vaccine to people was discussed.
“People are eagerly waiting for the vaccine. A scientifically approved vaccine is needed for the hour. The Telangana state government is ready to distribute and administer the vaccine to people on a priority basis. Accordingly, we have drawn an action plan,” said a statement from KCR’s office after the video conference.
The chief minister also stated that there are different weather and climatic conditions in the country, and he also noted that Coronavirus also did not affect the country in a “uniform manner”. KCR, in his statement, was of the opinion that the new vaccine too may give “different side effects in different regions”.
He suggested that initially a batch of vaccine doses could be sent to the states, which can be administered on some people. “Let us assess the situation after administering vaccines to these people and then administer it to the rest,” the CM said.
He also held a meeting with government officials after the videoconference, and instructed them to prepare an action plan to administer the vaccine in Telangana. KCR also told the officials that committees should be formed at the state, districts, and at the mandal level as well to conduct the vaccination programme.
The vaccine, stated KCR, should first be given to healthcare workers, and frontline workers from the police and other departments, people above 60 years of age, people suffering from acute diseases, etc. On Tuesday, 921 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana, taking the state’s total cases to 2,65,049 so far.