NEW DELHI, Jan 17 (NNN-BSS) — A total of 51 cases of minor complications were reported from the Covid-19 vaccine that was rolled out in India on Saturday.
In Delhi, 4,319 healthcare workers vaccinated on the first day, among which one “slightly serious” case was reported, Health Minister Satyender Jain.
The patient was admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and is stable now, the minister was quoted as saying.
“There have been 51 minor incidents Saturday where there were some minor complications and one was a bit serious…The patient is a 22-year-old security guard who works at the hospital,” he said.
He added, “The remaining 51 (people vaccinated) did not have to be hospitalised as they were only observed for a short while”.
Barring in the centrally-run hospitals like the AIIMS, healthcare workers in Delhi were administered Covishield, which is developed by the Oxford University with pharma major AstraZeneca, and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The six Central hospitals have been given Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which is still in trial stage. The country’s drug regulator, while giving clearance to the vaccine (Covaxin), said the vaccine’s use will be in the clinical trial mode, meaning all its recipients will be tracked and monitored as if they are in trial.
Delhi had a target of vaccinating 8,117 health workers on Day One, but only half the number was vaccinated at the 81 sites that were operating across the city.
Asked about the low number of vaccinations, the minister said, around 50 per cent vaccinations have been done in the whole country.”In every place the figure is close to half. Everywhere it has to be the same reason. There can’t be a different reason for different places,” he added.
Pointing out that vaccination was “completely voluntary”, he said, “Some people did not come at the last moment. There is no point in guessing why they did not come forward”. “Even after being registered, nobody is under the compulsion to get vaccinated,” the minister added. — NNN-BSS
