The much-awaited vaccination against Covid-19 began on Saturday in Chhattisgarh, with a health worker, Tulsa Tandi, working at the Pt JLN Memorial Medical College in Raipur becoming the first to receive the Covidshield dose.
Tulsa Tandi works in the operation theatre of the college. Director AIIMS Raipur Dr Nitin Nagarkar received the first dose of vaccine at AIIMS Raipur, a press release said.
“By Saturday late evening at 97 centres across the state, 5,592 persons had received the first dose of vaccine,” Chhattisgarh immunization officer Dr Amar Singh Thakur said.He added that all the parameters set by Union Health Ministry were followed.
The department had planned to vaccinate 100 persons in every vaccination centre. However only 62 percent of the set target was achieved, Dr Thakur said.
Vaccination will be conducted on four days in a week and will not be held on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday, he said.
He said that the state has received 60 percent vaccine doses. No cases of vaccine reaction or side effects were reported on the first day. In Raipur, vaccine was administered in five places including AIIMS, Pt JLN Memorial Medical College, NHMMI Hospital, District Hospital and Mission Hospital Tilda.
After receiving the dose, the person was kept under observation at the vaccination centre so that in case of reaction medical aid could be quickly administered.