Disruptions in the functioning of the CoWIN app have thwarted the district administration’s plans to smoothly deliver the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (both Covishield and Covaxin) here on Thursday.
“Registration for the second dose was scheduled to start at 7:30 am and we reached the meeting location at the Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium at 6:30 am. However, the app didn’t work until 10:30 am,” said a government official. She said the vaccines reached the center around 9:30 a.m., at least two hours behind schedule, and that she had to wait almost six hours to get the sting.
Many complained that the trip was not systematically organized and that people, including seniors, had to wait long hours for the vaccination.
“The idea of having a special drive exclusively for those taking the second dose was a good one. However, the planning left a lot to be desired. Due to the onslaught of people and the lack of social distancing norms, many like me were scared and left the venue, ”said a senior professor from Andhra University.
Authorities should deploy more police personnel, increase the number of registration counters, deploy more on-site staff to vaccinate and check post-vaccination status, and focus on making computers and apps work better, said a senior who is on three Had to wait hours for the second push in a center in China Waltair.
More vaccines will follow
To meet the demands of people who needed their second dose, the district received nearly 40,000 doses, including 32,000 Covishield vials, and had organized a special.
“We have opened 180 vaccination centers across the district for the Covishield administration, including all PHCs. We opened seven exclusive centers for Covaxin, ”said collector V. Vinay Chand.
According to him, the flow of vaccine is now carried out in batches of 30,000 to 50,000 doses, and the best way for mass vaccination is to organize trips.
It is known that the district will receive 50,000 doses by Saturday and another vaccination campaign will be organized for people over 45 (first-time visitors).
A district government executive said awareness of vaccines had increased, causing a rush at the meeting venues. “We are working on streamlining the systems to avoid delays,” he said.