10k pvt health staff take jab

15 lakh took vaccine in India

More than 10,000 healthcare workers in the private sector were vaccinated on Monday — the day seeing cent per cent participation as safety of the vaccine is by now somewhat assured.

The first-dose vaccination drive will continue in private hospitals till January 30.

Fifteen lakh people across the country have taken the first dose in recent days. The state government said that five adverse effects were noted in private hospitals on Monday.

There was palpable anxiety in the first week of the inoculation drive.

Only 57 per cent turn-out was registered in government hospitals. Private hospital managements have made it clear to their staff that all will need to be safe, and if one person does not take the jab, then the risk is for all.

Dr Kiran Madhala, a doctor in the government sector, said, “Myths and fears of reactions have melted away as the large number of governmentsector healthcare workers who took the first jab since last week showed no adverse effect. Mild reactions were expected in some cases. By now, it’s clear the vaccine is safe.”

Dr Narsinga Reddy, vicepresident of Indian Medical Association in Telangana, said, “Safety of the vaccine is assured but it will take six to eight months to know how effective these vaccines are. Preventive measures at hospital level and outside must continue.”

Healthcare staff and their officials took pictures of their vaccination and circulated them on social media.

Dr Kumar Krishna Mohan, senior general surgeon at Renova Hospitals in Kompally, said: “It’s important to overcome the fear of vaccination. Frontline workers were at the highest risk and vaccination came as the answer.”

Vaccination will help create herd immunity and stop the virus spread, say experts who also warn that even the non-participation of one individual would be a big risk to all else. After the healthcare workers, emergency forces like municipal and police will line up for the vaccination.

● Corporate and small private hospitals got more than

100 employees vaccinated.

● No adverse effects were reported.

● All those who took the vaccine were made to wait for 30 minutes after the jab to check for side-effects.

● Some problems were noticed in the Co-WIN app and the uploading was a real challenge.

I request all healthcare workers to come forward and get vaccinated. It will go a long way in crushing the pandemic and save all from the risk of this deadly virus. The general public must not get scared as there was a lot of science at work behind the process of development of these vaccines. There are authenticated research findings that establish that the vaccine is safe.”

— Dr D. NAGESHWAR REDDY Chairman and chief of gastroenterology Asian Institute of Gastroenterology Hospitals

vaccination.”

“The vaccine would help create an antibody response without one having to experience the sickness. The first dose will help create a response against SARS Cov 2 virus and the second dose will create the long-term immunity. People must look at scientific evidence and opt for

— Dr RAHUL MEDAKKAR,

CEO, Care Hospitals