Day 2: Health workers show reluctance, only 43% turn up in Chandigarh

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 19

Health care workers (HCWs) in the city have started showing reluctance to the Covid-19 immunisation as the turnout on the second day of the vaccination drive dropped to 43 per cent today.

The city had recorded a turnout of 75 per cent on the first day of vaccination drive. On the second day, only 174 HCWs were administered the vaccine — 90 at the GMSH-16, 20 at the Civil Hospital-45 and 64 at two sites in the GMCH-32.

Dr Amandeep Kaur Kang, Director, Health Services, UT, said, “The response received today was tepid in comparison with the first day. Although we made calls to the beneficiaries and tried to counsel them, they kept telling us that they wanted to wait for some time before going for the shot. For Thursday’s session, we are planning to call only those beneficiaries who are willing to get inoculated.”

The vaccination drive at five sessions went off smoothly without any major adverse events. A minor event was reported at the Civil Hospital, Sector 45.

Dr Pankaj Malhotra from the Department of Internal Medicine, PGI, who monitored Covishield trial volunteers and took the vaccine on the first day of the drive, said, “A mild reaction after vaccination like fever actually means that the vaccine is working. A day after getting the shot, I developed fever and muscle ache for one day. Covishield is safe as it is a viral vector vaccine that uses an adenovirus (causes common cold in chimpanzees) to nudge the body to create the specific part of the coronavirus so that the immune system gets activated and makes antibodies against the disease. The virus used in the vaccines is too weak to make the recipient ill.”

Dr Malhotra, who treats blood cancer patients at the PGI, has been asking such patients to wait and opt for an alternative – Covaxin as it is an inactivated form of coronavirus, which is safer for people with weakened immune system.

Chandigarh receives 11,500 more doses of covishield

• The city received a consignment of 11,500 Covishield doses on Tuesday. The city is yet to receive allocation on the same from the Central Government following which it will become clear as to how many doses are to be shared with the PGI.
• Dr Amandeep Kang, DHS, UT, said till the time allocation of doses was shared, 500 more doses would be given to the PGI. The institute did not hold any vaccination session on Tuesday.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.