Telangana planning to start Covaxin rollout?

With this, Telangana would be capable of vaccinating nearly 80,000 frontline and healthcare workers with two doses each. 
Bharat Biotech had previously released a statement advising against use of the vaccine if one had certain allergies. (Representational Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)
Bharat Biotech had previously released a statement advising against use of the vaccine if one had certain allergies. (Representational Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

HYDERABAD: Telangana received a large consignment of 8,448 vials of Covaxin on Friday. This translates to 1,68,960 doses of the vaccine. 

With this, the state would be capable of vaccinating nearly 80,000 frontline and healthcare workers with two doses each. 

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which manufactures Covaxin, had previously sent about 20,000 doses to the state. 

However, the state has not started the rollout of the same citing difficulties in implementing the consent-related ICMR guidelines.

It remains to be seen if the State, after the receiving of such a large batch of vaccines, will be keen to start the rollout. 

However, it is learnt that meetings are still going on at high level and sources said that the State is planning to roll out Covaxin soon.

One of the contentious issues in the rollout is the consent forms that will have to be signed by the beneficiaries. This has been mandated considering the fact that the vaccine is yet to complete its phase III trials and it has been launched on emergency basis on a trial mode authorisation. 

This has caused apprehensions among many people in taking the vaccine shot. Bharat Biotech had previously released a statement advising against use of the vaccine if one had certain allergies. 

However, Telangana’s health officials are known to support the vaccine and even openly said that they would take the Covaxin shot to create confidence among healthcare workers.

The vaccine administration for government healthcare workers has nearly ended and from Monday, private healthcare workers’ inoculation will begin.

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