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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the nationwide vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus via video conferencing, kickstarting the process in over 3,006 centres across states and union territories. The government is targeting 3 crore frontline workers in the first phase of the world largest Covid-19 vaccination drive. Manish Kumar, a sanitation worker at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) hospital received the first Covid-19 vaccine amid a huge media frenzy and in the presence of health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr VK Paul, a senior member of NITI Aayog, were among the first senior government officials to get the vaccines. A few hours after the vaccination, cases of minor adverse events were reported from various regions of the country. Even as the government said there was no hospitalisation post-Covid vaccination, news agency IANS reported that a 22-year-old security guard at the AIIMS was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after he developed an allergic reaction.
Doctors at the hospital told the agency that the guard developed headache, rash, respiratory distress, and tachycardia after getting the Covid-19 vaccine. According to the hospital sources, his symptoms worsened about half an hour after this initial stabilization. This is a case of anaphylaxis requiring hospitalization, which is classified as serious adverse event following immunization (AEFI) as per the guidelines, the agency noted. While the patient remains in the ICU, his condition is stable, hospital sources told IANS.
On the first day of the nationwide covid-19 vaccination, Delhi reported 52 adverse events, including one case of severe side-effects. A healthcare staff at NDMC Charak Palika was also reportedly hospitalised after he complained in the chest post the inoculation.
As many as 1.91 lakh beneficiaries were inoculated on the first day of the vaccination drive on Saturday at 3,351 session sites with doses of either Bharat Biotech's Covaxin or Oxford's Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. A total of 4,319 healthcare workers were vaccinated in the national capital.
All beneficiaries vaccinated at AIIMS received Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, the safety of which is being debated as the vaccine hasn't completed its phase-3 trails.
Allaying the apprehensions over the safety of the vaccine, S. Eswara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), said that Covaxin's efficacy meets WHO standards and there is nothing to worry.
According to the WHO, the minimum efficacy of any vaccine should be at least 50 per cent, which is considered as the passing mark for any vaccine, Reddy noted while speaking at the JITO Professional Forum (JPF) through video conferencing.
Like with any vaccination, Covid-19 vaccine may also cause side effects like allergies, flu-like symptoms, running nose or an increased blood pressure, and some people might even faint, say experts. This is the reason why a person is kept under observation for 30-45 minutes after the first jab is administered to see if there are any signs of potential side effects.
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