The state government in Jharkhand started preparing for distributing and transporting a Covid-vaccine once it is made available, which the Centre claimed should be within weeks.

In the first step, the Hemant Soren government has identified around 1 lakh health workers, employed in private and public sectors, for the vaccination programme, officials from the health department said on Saturday.

In adherence to the directive from the Union ministry of health, frontline workers in Jharkhand, especially those working in the health sector, would be provided with the vaccine on priority, said state National Health Mission (NHM) director Ravi Shankar Shukla.

“We have already started the process of preparing for the distribution of the vaccine across the state. All steps will be taken in accordance with the directives we get from the ministry,” said Shukla, adding that Jharkhand has the experience of vaccinating around 1 crore individuals over a couple of months and the facilities have improved since the last vaccination drive was conducted in the tribal state.

While cold chain infrastructure in the state was adequate for routine immunisation, an increased demand for Covid-19 vaccine may require additional facilities and extra effort, a highly placed source in the health department said.

As per figures with the health department, Jharkhand has one state vaccine store, two regional vaccine stores, 24 district vaccine stories and at least 247 sub-district cold chain points. Besides, the government is establishing a new regional vaccine store in East Singhbhum, which would help run immunisation programmes against the Covid-19 virus.

A document of the state health department highlighted that the government had identified at least 30 new cold chain points for storage and distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine. The Centre has also assured the state a supply of additional ice lined refrigerators (ILR) for the purpose of vaccination, sources said.

The availability of cold storage and transportation of the vaccine in vehicles that can maintain a below freezing point temperature are crucial as most of Covid-19 vaccines are said to be effective only at sub-zero temperatures.

Jharkhand has also completed state level training of trainers in collaboration with the National Cold Chain and Vaccine Management Resource Centre (NCCVMRC) on cold chain management for the vaccination process. Currently, the training is going on at the district level.

Besides, at least 21 of 24 districts in the state have conducted district task force (DTF) meetings to plan the immunisation process. The government has conducted two rounds of Indian public standard health (IPHS) survey and the result of the third round in expected by the middle of December, health officials said.

Three vaccines are in various stages of clinical trials in India and experts believe that a Covid-19 vaccine could be ready in a few weeks, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday during a virtual all-party meeting.

While Jharkhand is among the states where Covid-19 cases gradually dropped after peaking in September, it still reported more than 1 lakh cases of infection. The number of active cases in the state has dropped significantly this month, but the government may still have to deal with high demand for the vaccine, even in the interiors, sources said.