Nagaland receives first consignment of COVID-19 vaccine

Nagaland on Thursday received itsfirst consignment of 26,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, anofficial said.

The vials arrived from Delhi at Dimapur Airport in anaircraft, he said.

''We have received the first batch; 50 per cent isrequired for the first phase of the vaccination drive, whichwill be launched on January 16,'' Principal Director of HealthDepartment, Vizolie Suokhrie, told reporters here.

Nagaland will join the nation in the official launchof the vaccination programme on January 16 in the presence ofChief Minister Neiphiu Rio, which will be held right afterPrime Minister Narendra Modi kicks off the campaign in Delhiat 9 am, he said.

Suokhrie said it will be carried out in four phases inthe state the first two being free of cost starting with19,690 health workers in both government and private sectors.

In the second phase, around 30,000 frontline workers,including police, administration and sanitation personnel,would be inoculated, the official said.

People aged above 50 years, numbering around 3,49,757as per the electoral rolls, will receive the vaccine in thethird phase.

Allaying fears and misconceptions about the sideeffects of the vaccine, Suokhrie said only mild reactions suchas body pain and fever might occur.

''It is not easy to develop a vaccine, and withoutfully asserting the efficacy, it would not have been used onhumans. All vaccines are safe,'' he asserted.

The first two phases of vaccination would be carriedout in 1,206 immunisation sites, including district hospitals,primary health centres and community health facilities acrossthe state.

For the third and fourth phases, school buildings andcommunity halls would be utilised, he added.