Fully prepared to administer scientifically approved vaccine to people: CM KCR

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao emphasised the need to ascertain whether the vaccine has any side affects.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced that the State government was fully geared up to administer a scientifically approved vaccine to the people. But before administering the vaccine, he emphasised the need to ascertain whether the vaccine has any side affects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference on Tuesday with all the Chief Ministers and the Lieutenant Governors in the country. He discussed the methods to be followed for distributing and administering the vaccine to people.

Speaking on the occasion from Pragathi Bhavan, the Chief Minister said people were eagerly waiting for the vaccine. He said the Telangana State government was ready to distribute and administer the vaccine to people on a priority basis. The authorities have prepared an action plan accordingly. However, he cautioned that one has to take into consideration whether the vaccine has any side affects, especially by taking into consideration different weather and climatic conditions in the country.

“Coronavirus also did not affect the country in a uniform manner. Vaccine too may give different side effects in different regions. Hence, initially let the Centre send a batch of vaccine doses to the States, which can be administered on some people. Let us assess the situation after administering vaccines to these people and then administer it to the rest,” the Chief Minister said.

Later, Chandrashekhar Rao reviewed the situation with the officials concerned and instructed them to prepare an action plan for distributing and administering the vaccine in the State. He also instructed them to create the required infrastructure facilities and put in place a cold storage chain network across the State. He suggested constituting committees at the State, district and mandal level to conduct the vaccination programme.

“The vaccine should be given first to the COVID-19 warriors and frontline workers like the medical staff, the police and other departments, as well as people above 60 years and those suffering from acute diseases. A priority list in this regard should be prepared,” he said.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, CMO Principal Secretary S Narsing Rao, Principal Secretary for Medical and Health Murtuza Rizvi, Director of Medical and Health Srinivas Rao, Director of Medical Education Ramesh Reddy, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor B Karunakar Reddy, Member of COVID Experts Committee Gangadhar and others participated.