Kerala prepares action plan for second phase COVID vaccination drive

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Health Department has prepared an action plan to expand the COVID-19 vaccination in the State and to commence the next phase of the drive meticulously, Health Minister KK Shailaja said here on Saturday.

A total of 133 vaccination centres were allotted in the southern State in the initial phase which were being increased with the availability of more doses of vaccines.

Currently, 144 centres were ready for vaccination and it was proposed to increase it to 249 at this stage, she said.

As part of this, there would be at least 14 centres in a district, she said, adding that 38 centres would be set up in Ernakulam district and 30 centres in Thiruvananthapuram.

”It is time for the healthcare workers to get their second dose of vaccine by February 13. Therefore the plan is to complete the first phase of vaccination by February 15 and commence the second phase of the drive after that,” she said.

After healthcare workers, the next priority would be the frontline COVID fighters.

So far, a total of 4,87,306 people, including health workers and frontline fighters, have registered for vaccination in the southern State.

Registration for frontline fighters was currently underway which so far comprised 75,572 home department employees, 6,600 municipal workers and 8,824 revenue staff in Kerala.