‘Took the vaccine to prove to hesitant friends it is safe’

From April 1, India opens Covid-19 vaccination to all people above 45. Taking the shot is important, especially as the country battles its second wave of cases. The vaccination drive has been dogged by hesitancy, despite the shots being rigorously tested

NEW DELHI: Brij Mohan Vasishta, 75, was walking towards the hospital’s waiting area after taking the first dose of Covishield on March 6 when he turned around. He had forgotten to get himself clicked. He hurried back, whispered a special request in the nurse’s ear and was in the queue a minute later.

The elderly man eased himself into the chair, pulled up his sleeve, stuck a fearless pose and looked into the camera as the nurse obliged by pretending to inject him. His wife, Smita, followed suit.

“Many of my elderly friends were apprehensive about taking the vaccine. I know at least four friends who registered for the vaccine immediately after seeing my photo. That’s why I did it,” said Vasishta, a retired property developer in Faridabad.

He had read about some cases of recipients battling side effects, but wasn’t concerned. “When hundreds of millions of people are getting vaccinated, a few deaths could even be of natural causes,” Vasishta said.

Having lived through the first wave of infections, Vasishta was thankful to have a way out. “I had expected it to take at least three years for the vaccine to develop,” he said. He suffers from a host of age-related ailments such as blood pressure, diabetes and thyroid.

But Vasishta was keen to live – and hence instituted a strict protocol for his family of eight, who share a four-bedroom house in Faridabad.

“For first the six

REGISTRATION Where can I register? months, my wife, 15-year-old grandson, and I did not step out of the house even once. Family members who left the house for essential services had to follow a strict sanitisation protocol on return...,” said Vasishta. The caution paid off. There were a couple of virus scares but no one in his family was

How can I schedule a vaccination appointment?

Will I get a confirmation of date/time/location? infected.

He patiently waited for the vaccine to arrive. And when it did, some people around him questioned its safety, but Vasishta said he reposed his faith in the medical fraternity.

A few relatives dissuaded him from taking the jab early on. Vasishta heard about how the vaccine was not tested properly, it caused complications in people with comorbidities and that it wasn’t effective in the first place. But he wasn’t deterred.

“On March 1, when the PM got vaccinated, all my doubts

Brij Mohan Vasishta

were dispelled.

The next day, my children booked my appointment and I turned to my hesitant elderly friends to convince them to take the vaccine,” he said.

His preference was determined by media reports that said Covaxin (81%) was marginally more effective than Covishield, the shot made by Serum Institute of India has an efficacy rate of 70-75% .

But he was on blood thinners, and got the latter on doctor’s advice. He is now waiting for second dose.

Until then, he isn’t letting down his guard.