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Hailers signal public vaccination in WP
Vehicles blare out where to gather for jabs
Amidst much controversy why the earlier finalized ‘priority list’ has been discarded, the vaccination of the public against COVID-19 was launched this Wednesday, with vehicles blaring out the news of vaccination and where to gather for the jabs through hailers around several areas in the Western Province.
Vaccination underway in Kolonnawa. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
When contacted by the Sunday Times to get the ground-level details, Health Services Director of the Colombo District, Dr.A.I. Jagoda said that they were informed that the Epidemiology Unit had taken a policy decision to use around 250,000 doses of COVISHIELD on the public in the high-risk Western Province because a large number of infections were emerging from these areas.
These are the balance 250,000 doses from the 500,000 doses donated by India.
The Western Province comprises the Colombo,Gampaha and Kalutara districts and Dr. Jagoda said that they had identified the high-risk Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas of Kolonnawa, Gothatuwa, Pita Kotte, Moratuwa, Egoda Uyana and Hanwella in the Colombo district. Certain Grama Sevaka divisions have been selected within those areas and on Wednesday, the decision was to vaccinate those between the ages of 30 and 59 years, with the “intention of halting transmission”.
The vaccination centres to administer 27,000 doses are the MOH offices in Kolonnawa,Pita Kotte and Gothatuwa; the Moratuwa Hospital for those in Moratuwa and Egoda Uyana; and the Kosgama Hospital for those in Hanwella. This is excluding the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) which has its own vaccination programme.
From Wednesday to Friday evening, 10,000 doses were administered, said Dr. Jagoda, adding that when people gathered at the vaccination centres, the Grama Niladhariswere on hand to identify whether they were from those specific areas and a system was introduced to check the age from the National Identity Cards (IDs).
On Friday, further instructions had been issued to vaccinate those over 60 years.