CENTRE URGES HEALTHWORKERS TO TAKE VACCINE, SAYS 0.18% WERE ADVERSE EVENTS

NEW DELHI: Of the total people vaccinated against Covid-19 so far, the government on Tuesday said 0.18 % were adverse events following immunisation, while 0.002% had to be hospitalised which is fairly low.

Urging healthcare workers not to hesitate to get the Covid-19 vaccine, the Centre said it was their societal responsibility to get inoculated. Addressing a press conference, Niti Aayog member (health) V K Paul said concerns about adverse effects and serious problems post immunisation, as of now, seem to be unfounded, negligible and insignificant, and stressed that both the vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- are safe.

It is saddening that healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses, are declining to take it, Paul said. “We are not fulfilling our societal responsibility if a vaccine assigned to us is not being taken. The whole world is clamouring for a vaccine. I request you to please accept the jab,” he said. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “As per the data available so far, only 0.18 % is the Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) and 0.002 is the percentage of the people who were hospitalised following immunisation. These are fairly low, in fact, lowest so far as we know in the world in the first three days.” He said India recorded the highest number of first-day vaccinations for Covid-19 immunisation.

NITI AAYOG MEMBER V K PAUL SAID CONCERNS ABOUT ADVERSE EFFECTS SEEM TO BE UNFOUNDED, AND SAID BOTH THE VACCINES ARE SAFE