SHILLONG, March 1: The second phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive kick-started across the state on Monday, with Shillong Civil Hospital witnessing a sparse turnout on Day 1.
During the vaccination drive, which commenced on Monday across the country, very few people turned up at the Shillong Civil Hospital, the largest government medical facility in the state.
However, the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr A Dkhar, said that the number of beneficiaries will pick up from Tuesday with more people turning up to receive the jab.
Exhorting the citizens to come forward and get themselves vaccinated, he informed that the Shillong Civil Hospital, with its manpower and infrastructure, can vaccinate as many as 100 people every day.
The Centre had recently announced that everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbid conditions will be able to get inoculated from March 1 for free at government facilities and for a charge at private hospitals.
Receive vaccine shots
on time: Kumar
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare, P Sampath Kumar, on Monday said that the Covishield vaccine, which is being used in Meghalaya, is effective only after two weeks from the date of receiving the second dose, which is given after a gap of 4 weeks after the first dose.
“Those who have received the first dose must track their due dates and get vaccinated with the second dose without undue delay. We have vaccinated over 40,000 healthcare and frontline workers in the State. There have been no major adverse-effects following the immunisation,” Kumar said.
He also maintained that the vaccines would only help to reduce the severity of the disease and chances of hospitalisation, and not the infection. (With inputs from UNI)