THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the smooth implementation of the mass vaccination programme against COVID-19, - expected to be rolled out at the national level anytime soon - the state has come out with a slew of measures.
These include the formation of a state-level steering committee and taskforces at multiple-levels, chalking out macro and micro-level planning to address issues including reaction to vaccine, logistics and supply chain challenges and specific challenges in the form of geography, network connectivity and others.
At the same time, as it’s the health workers who will get the vaccine shot first, the process of uploading their details on COVID-19 Vaccination Beneficiary Management system has entered its final phase. Other than health workers in government and private sectors, the state plans to inoculate 27,000 Asha workers and 33,000 Anganwadi workers in the state along with permanent and temporary staff of modern medicine, Ayush and homoeo streams, students of medical, dental, nursing and paramedical courses and ICDS staff.
“The vaccination programme might take more than a year to complete. Thus a fool-proof plan will have to be readied for it. The task forces at the state, district and block levels will be convened soon for planning and execution of the programme. Though the local body election had delayed the planning process, it will now be speeded up as the poll is over now,” said a health official.
While the state-level steering committee is chaired by the chief secretary, the state task force is headed by the health principal secretary. At the district level, the task force is headed by the respective district collectors. At the block level, the task force will be headed by the medical officer in charge of the block level community health centre.
“The priority will be to conduct COVID-19 vaccination with minimum disruption to the ongoing immunisation schedule. The process of uploading details of healthcare workers on COVID-19 Vaccination Beneficiary Management System is in its final phase. The respective task forces will review the state’s preparatory activities for the vaccination programme regularly,” added the official.
At the same time, addressing rumour mongering through social media on COVID-19 vaccine will also be of highest priority before the task forces. The health department had earlier stated that the district-level registration of health staff in government sector – 4,064 institutions in total – has been completed and in the case of private sector, 81 per cent of registration is over.
Health workers top priority