On 18th March, the Manipal Institute of Technology campus was declared a containment zone. Most of the student population decided to go back home, leaving a few hundred staff and students on campus. After the government opened up vaccination for the general public for the ages 18 to 45, MAHE began preparing for its COVID vaccination drive.

The vaccination of the people who stayed back on campus began on the 7th of June. The college had been following a strict protocol of isolation, and the students weren’t allowed to leave the campus premises. To facilitate the travel to the vaccination site—Marena, the sports complex, the college arranged for a periodic shuttle bus service.

Students being taken to the vaccination site by a periodic shuttle bus service arranged by MIT.  Photo credits- Manas Agrawal, 1st year

The drive was conducted in association with Kasturba Medical Hospital. Students were required to register on the government’s cowin.gov.in site and obtain the secret code (a unique 4-digit code provided on registration) and documents for identification at the vaccination site. Every student was assigned a token number, and after a few preliminary health and safety questions, they were registered in the hospital’s records.

There were multiple vaccination stations present to speed up the procedure. After getting the shot, every student was kept under observation for thirty minutes, after which they were taken back to their hostels. The Covishield vaccine was used as it is accepted for international travels, thus allowing students stranded on campus to return to their homes. In addition to the students, the college staff was also vaccinated.

The doctors and hospital staff present made sure that the vaccination protocol was being followed efficiently. The nurses in charge of administering the vaccine doses were professional and well-trained. A survey form was released to monitor the development of any side effects in students so that they received appropriate medication/help for the same if required.

Students waiting at Marena sports complex to get their first dose of Covishield. Photo credits- Chinmayee Parida, third year

 “The overall experience was good. The procedure went smoothly enough. The only small glitch was that the coordination between the transport in charge and the caretakers was a little faulty as the caretakers weren’t sure where the buses would pick the students up. Apart from that, the process went flawlessly. There were faculties present at Marena who worked tirelessly to see that the vaccination procedure was hassle-free.”  said Vedant Nath, a first-year student, while recounting his experience on getting vaccinated at Marena.

Proper safety measures like wearing masks and maintaining physical distance were followed by all the students, staff, and healthcare workers during the drive.  The organizers and staff were polite and well-equipped to deal with any contingency at the site. The students did not have to pay to get vaccinated as the cost was covered by the college. The hostel caretakers made sure that the students’ health was monitored and taken care of during the entire process.

The college carried out the difficult task of vaccinating the remaining student and staff populace within a short time window without a hitch. Students and parents can now rest easy knowing that their safety is assured at the hands of the college.

Featured Image Credits- The New York Times