16 lakh frontline workers in Karnataka to get COVID vaccine in first phase: CM

About 16 lakh frontline workersin Karnataka will be administered COVID-19 vaccine in thefirst phase starting from January 16, Chief Minister B SYediyurappa said on Monday.

A second dose will be given 28 days after the first jab,he told reporters here after attending Prime Minister NarendraModi's virtual meet with Chief Ministers of various states onthe COVID-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out.

''During the first phase three crore people in the countrywill be given vaccination. In Karnataka, the first phase ofadministering vaccination to about 16 lakh frontline workers-of health, revenue and police department - will begin fromJanuary 16,'' Yediyurappa said.

Vaccination will be undertaken at 235 sites in the state,the Chief Minister said, adding both Covaxin and Covishieldwould be used.

Cold chain arrangements have been made and the state anddistrict level task forces will oversee the activities, hesaid.

The second dry run, an exercise for end-to-end testing ofCOVID-19 vaccination process, was conducted ''successfully'' in281 facilities of 31 districts in the state on January 8,after the first round in five districts on December 2.

State Health Minister K Sudhakar said there was no needto worry and the vaccines were ''completely safe'', addingseveral rounds of clinical trials have been conducted.

All the necessary arrangements have been made in thestate for the vaccination and the Centre has also assured thestate additional walk-in freezers, he said.

''We have made all the necessary arrangements, once itcomes, vaccines will be sent to all the districts,'' he said,adding that people with comorbidities will be vaccinated onpriority in the second stage, after the frontline workers.

As of Sunday, Karnataka has reported 9,27,559 COVID-19positive cases and 12,140 deaths while the active cases stoodat 9,649.