New Delhi:
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday said some people did not turn up for coronavirus vaccination at the last moment, adding that the government cannot ask anyone to compulsorily take the jab.
He also said that the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be increased from 81 to 175 soon.
In Delhi, a total of 4,319 healthcare workers – 53.3 per cent of those registered – got the vaccine shots on the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Saturday, the minister said.
Jain noted that a similar trend was observed across the country, adding that around 50 per cent of those registered got the jabs on the first day.
“Some people decided not to turn up at the last moment. The vaccination programme is completely voluntary. We cannot ask anyone to compulsorily take the shot even if the person has registered for it,” he said.
In Delhi, a total of 4,319 healthcare workers – 53.3 per cent of those registered – got the vaccine shots on the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Saturday, the minister said.
One “severe” and 51 “minor” cases of AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) were reported among health workers who were administered the coronavirus vaccine in Delhi on Saturday, according to official figures.
An AIIMS security guard had developed an allergic reaction after receiving the vaccine. He was kept under observation of doctors, an official had said on Saturday.
“His current status is not known… 51 others were discharged after some time,” Jain said.
The minister also said that the Delhi government decided to omit vaccination centres of municipal corporations due to the ongoing strike by the civic bodies.
“The number of vaccination sites will be increased from 81 to 175 in some days. Thereafter, it will be increased to 1,000. It will also include the sites of municipal corporations,” he said.
On some political parties questioning the efficacy of the vaccines, Jain said the Centre gave permission for emergency use of the vaccines after completing a rigorous process.
“All protocols were followed. So, there should be no questions about it,” he said.
The health minister added that the COVID-19 positivity rate has come down to 0.44 per cent.
“The coronavirus positivity rate has remained below 0.5 per cent for the last few days. We can comfortably say that the third wave is on the wane. Cases have decreased. Still, I want to appeal to people to take precautions and use masks,” he said.
-‘Wait and watch’ approach, CoWin app snags blamed for 53 pc turnout in Delhi on Day 1-
People adopting a “wait and watch” approach, lack of communication and glitches in CoWin app are the major reasons why only 53 per cent people got the COVID-19 shots on the first day in Delhi, experts said on Sunday.
In Delhi, 4,319 healthcare workers – 53.3 per cent of those registered – got the shots on Saturday, the first day of the world”s largest vaccination drive against the pandemic.
“There is a little bit of apprehension (about the vaccine). Also, people in India adopt a ”wait and watch” approach in important matters, be it purchasing a new car or an appliance. People consider the experiences of others before taking a call,” B L Sherwal, Medical Director of Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, said.
In his hospital, 45 people got the jabs on Saturday.
“There is a need for creating more awareness and building confidence among people. No major vaccine-related side effects were reported on Saturday, which is going to encourage others to take the shots,” he said.
An AIIMS security guard had developed an allergic reaction after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. He was kept under observation of doctors at the hospital, an official had said on Saturday.
A total of 51 cases of minor reactions such as rashes, swelling at the injection site or fever were reported in the city on the first day, according to officials.
Sherwal said 53 per cent turnout should be considered “normal”. “Since people are voluntarily taking the jabs, many times they skip it if there is some important work,” he said.
“It took a lot of effort for 20 years to eradicate polio. There was resistance. Similar efforts will be needed in case of COVID-19 immunization campaign,” he added.
Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, said technical glitches in CoWin app could be a reason why many people could not take the shots on the launch day.
CoWin is an online platform for monitoring COVID-19 vaccine delivery.
Only 32 people were given the jabs at LNJP hospital on Saturday.
“There were some glitches in the app at our hospital. We expect the number to increase during the course of the drive,” Kumar said.
N K Ganguly, former director-general of Indian Council of Medical Research, said the numbers will increase gradually as people become “well-informed” about the vaccines.
“The government will have to strengthen the information dissemination process. The vaccine has reached the centres, now information needs to reach everyone,” he said.
People are also facing difficulty operating the CoWin app. Technical glitches need to be rectified quickly to make the process smooth, Ganguly said.
Questions have also been raised on the efficacy of the vaccines, especially about Bharat Biotech”s Covaxin.
On Saturday, the Resident Doctors” Association of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital requested the hospital to vaccinate them with Serum Institute”s Covishield instead of Covaxin.
The association wrote a letter and said the doctors were a bit apprehensive about Covaxin due to the lack of a complete trail.
Those taking Covaxin are asked to sign a separate consent form, acknowledging that the jab is being administered without the phase-3 trial.
