COVID-19 vaccination drive to pick up momentum in next 5-10 days in Assam: Official

Over 3,500 healthcare workers,including prominent doctors, were administered the COVID-19vaccine on the first day of the immunisation drive in Assamand the exercise was expected to pick up momentum in the nextfive to ten days, National Health Mission Director of thestate Dr S Lakshmanan said on Sunday.

The state had expected 6,500 beneficiaries to bevaccinated on the first day of the inoculation drive onSaturday, but 3,528 of the targeted people turned up, he said.

''Many things had to be put in place and the system isevolving but we are sure it will gather momentum in the nextfive to ten days.

''Many of the beneficiaries did not turn up while manyothers, whose names were not in the list for the first day,came to the selected sites,'' Dr Lakshmanan told PTI.

The rhythm of any vaccination drive picks up in 10 to15 days and ''we are reaching out to people, targeted toreceive the vaccine, over phone. We are confident that theywill come to the vaccination sites in the next few days'', hesaid.

All efforts are being made to allay apprehension, ifany, from the minds of people and prominent doctors comingforward to take the vaccine on the first day will go a longway in inspiring the beneficiaries, Dr Lakshmanan said.

Meanwhile, there was no report of any adverse impacton healthcare workers after they received the shots onSaturday, he said.

Sixty-five centres were set up in seven medicalcollege hospitals and 24 district and sub-divisional medicalestablishments for the vaccination exercise.

As many as 2.9 lakh people in Assam have beenregistered on the 'CO-WIN' portal -- an online platform formonitoring the delivery of COVID-19 vaccine.

In the first phase, 1.9 lakh registered healthcareworkers, designated as COVID warriors, will be administeredthe vaccine which will take approximately eight weeks to becompleted.

During the second phase, one lakh frontline workers,including security forces, will be inoculated.

The state has received 2,21,500 doses so far --2,01,500 COVISHIELD and 20,000 COVAXIN.