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    Sanitation worker becomes first person to get COVID vaccine in AIIMS; Vardhan calls it historic day

    Synopsis

    More than one crore cases and 1.5 lakh fatalities later, India took its first steps out of the pandemic with shots of the Covishield and Covaxin vaccines being administered at medical centres across the country to a collective sigh of relief that this could finally be the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 trauma.

    vaccine
    Tamil Nadu rolled out the COVID-19 vaccination drive at 166 sites across the state with a government doctor here becoming the first to be administered the shot.
    Manish Kumar, a sanitation worker, became the first person to be administered a COVID-19 vaccine in AIIMS here during the launch of the nationwide vaccination programme in the presence of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday.

    As people around applauded, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria also received a shot of the vaccine followed by NITI Aayog member V K Paul.

    Kumar, who works at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences along with his mother Laxmi Rani, said he was not at all nervous and was "proud of getting the vaccine".

    Vardhan said the two vaccines -- the indigenous Covaxin from Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable -- were a 'sanjivani', life infusing, in the fight against the pandemic.

    "These vaccines are our 'sanjivini' in our fight against the pandemic. We have won the battle against polio and now we have reached the decisive phase of winning the war against COVID. I want to congratulate all frontline workers on this day," he told reporters shortly after the vaccine shots were administered.

    Meanwhile, a security guard was the first to get the Covaxin shot at RML hospital and a security guard was also the first to get the jab at Safdarjung hospital.

    Several doctors, nurses and other heathcare workers also got the shots in these hospitals.

    Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world's largest vaccination drive against the pandemic.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who inspected the COVID-19 vaccination campaign at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital here and interacted with some health workers who received the shot, also urged people not to believe in rumours and listen to experts who say COVID-19 vaccines are safe.

    Noting that it is a historic day, Vardhan said, "We have been blessed by the prime minister all through our fight against coronavirus. It's the largest coronavirus vaccination programme in world," he said.

    Asserting the safety of the coronavirus vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- Harsh Vardhan said, "The experts gave their approval after seeing the results. There is no difference between vaccines. Both are equally safe and effective."

    He said, "At times when rumours are being spread, I hope the media will spread the correct information and this move will help in the fight against the disease," the health minister said.

    Vardhan also said the Phase 3 trials of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is ongoing.

    "It has been subjected to ample and adequate scrutiny," he said.

    "There is no need for any fear. We have to be absolutely fearless, and sure of the safety of this vaccine and also have to be patient...Everyone has to wait for his/her turn," the health minister said.

    According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by those younger than 50 years with associated comorbidities.

    The cost of vaccination of healthcare and frontline workers will be borne by the central government.

    Vardhan said 3,006 session sites across all states and UTs held the exercise simultaneously on Saturday with around 100 beneficiaries vaccinated at each of the sites.

    With a population of 138 crore and a history of Universal Immunization Program, which involves targeted vaccination against twelve vaccine preventable diseases, India stands at the cusp of recording history and shows the way to peers across the globe.

    "After Smallpox and Polio, it is the turn of COVID. All the remote, hard to reach areas, urban slums, tribal belts are all covered in today's exercise,” he said

    Vardhan elaborated on the preparations that were taken up for this huge exercise. “ "More than a lakh vaccinators were trained, multiple mock exercises were conducted, a pan-India national exercise was also conducted to hammer out the slightest glitches.

    "Technology was used to bolster performance as the eVIN platform was repurposed to CoWIN (Winning over COVID), SMS sent to all beneficiaries since the last two days (for Saturday's session) which would be repeated on schedule for their second dose and across all beneficiaries in all sessions," he said.

    Speaking to reporters after taking the jab, Paul urged people to "embrace the vaccine".

    "I believe that this is a great vaccine. I have taken Covaxin. Embrace the vaccine. Both the vaccines that the government has authorised are safe and immunogenic. I request you to please embrace it as in this way you will help your family and your community," he said.

    On concerns over the efficacy of the vaccine, he said there is no evidence to suggest it is unsafe and these are false rumours and narratives.

    Vardhan also visited Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to inspect the Covishield vaccination programme at the facility after AIIMS.

    "India has launched today the biggest vaccination programme. We should be proud of India's vaccination programme and I assure the people of the efficacy of the vaccination.

    "I have visited Sir Ganga Ram Hospital many times during the peak of COVID-19 crisis. That is the reason I am visiting this hospital today as Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been in the forefront during the fight with COVID-19. People should not play politics in this important vaccination programme," a hospital statement quoting him said.


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