Delhi: Vaccine to arrive in next few days, third round of dry run likely today

NEW DELHI: The vaccine for Covid-19 is likely to begin arriving in Delhi in the next few days. It will be stored in the facility at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Dilshad Garden, which has been readied and handed over to the health and family welfare department. In the first phase, 51 lakh health and frontline workers would be getting the shots at 1,000 vaccination booths set up across the city.

Dr Suneela Garg, director professor and head of community medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College and advisor, Indian Council for Medical Research, said, “The vials arriving in the next few days will be kept in the cold storage facility at RGSSH. From there, they will be transported to 603 cold chain points created across the 11districts and subsequently taken to the vaccination booths.”

An official said, “Vaccination will start immediately after we receive the medicine. The number of doses coming in the first consignment is not yet known, but the delivery will be in a staggered manner so that there is equitable distribution across the country.”

The Drugs Controller General of India has given approval to two vaccines — Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin — both of which are made in India. The government has clarified that the vaccines are 100% safe and ensure safety, efficacy and immunogenicity.

The vaccine storage facility at RGSSH is spread over 4,700 square feet divided into eight large rooms. “All necessary equipment required to ensure optimum safety of the vaccines were installed a couple of days ago,” said an official.

Delhi government has earmarked an additional vaccine storage facility in Civil Lines. Garg said the RGSSH facility is adequate and the Civil Lines facility may not be used.

The government has already set up over 700 of the 1,000 vaccination booths planned in government and private hospitals and dispensaries, many of them located next to the cold chain points, so that they are easily accessible to people.

At many booths, a second dry run was conducted on Wednesday, which was found “satisfactory”. Some glitches were also reported, like uploading data on Co-WIN app, entry of beneficiaries and delay in transporting beneficiaries with post-vaccination symptoms to hospitals.

The third dry run is expected to be conducted on Friday.