1.60 lakh health workers will be first to get COVID vaccine: Punjab Health Minister

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said around 1.60 lakh health workers in Punjab will receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase.

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The minister said, "...the vaccine which is coming will first be given to 1.60 lakh healthcare workers in the state."

Giving details of the vaccination process, Lal said that after health workers, vaccine will be administered to around three lakh frontline workers, including policemen, paramilitary forces, sanitation workers and disaster management volunteers.

Principal Secretary (Health) Hussan Lal informed that the data regarding 1.60 lakh healthcare workers have already been uploaded on the CoWin portal—an online platform for monitoring the delivery of COVID-19 vaccine.

Adding that the people above 50 years and those aged below 50 with co-morbid conditions will be covered under the inoculation drive.

On the timeframe of the vaccination drive, Lal said it will depend upon the availability of vaccine and the state has the capacity to administer 4 lakh vaccines in a day.

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He further added that the state has around 4,000 trained vaccinators.