Ludhiana district leads in vaccination, 4.42 lakh inoculated

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 22

Ludhiana, which was among the five high-burden districts that have emerged as drivers of Covid surge in the state, continues to lead in the ongoing vaccination drive.

With the immunisation of 5,338 more persons on Thursday, the district has inoculated as many as 4,42,881 eligible beneficiaries so far.

Sharing details, the Deputy Commissioner, Varinder Kumar Sharma, told The Tribune, here this evening, that all the persons who had been jabbed in the district so far were hale and hearty, while a handful of those who had reported after-effects following immunisation had since recovered.

Making a fervent appeal to all the eligible persons to come forward and get themselves vaccinated at their nearest government or private health centres to help the district build the herd immunity to fight the deadly virus, the DC said the health experts had already made it loud and clear that the vaccine had no side effects on the human body and the hesitancy or unfound apprehensions based on rumours and non-scientific theories should be shunned to become partners in the sustained campaign against the Covid pandemic.

In order to dispel the rumours, superstitions surrounding the vaccine and to help the residents shun the hesitancy and unfounded apprehensions, the district administration has roped in renowned health experts to further boost the inoculation of all the eligible persons.

The panel of experts, comprising three specialist doctors Dr Bishav Mohan from DMC Hospital, Dr Harminder Singh Pannu from Fortis Hospital and Dr Kiran Gill Ahluwalia, Covid nodal officer for the district, has been tasked to answer the public queries pertaining to vaccination issues.

In a maiden public interaction moderated by the DC himself, the experts stressed that Covid vaccine reduces severity of illness, even if the person gets an infection after taking the vaccine, and reduces the chances of hospitalisation. They emphasised that the vaccine will help build herd immunity, hence it would help to contain the pandemic.

Comparing vaccine with seatbelt in the vehicles, they said as the belt minimises chances of fatal mishap, similarly the vaccine also protects human beings in case they contract infection at any stage post vaccination and in that case they would only suffer mild symptoms.

They also ruled out that the vaccine has any effect on fertility, while claiming that the scientific trials have proved that the vaccine doesn’t cause infertility.

Taking the calls of some residents, who were avoiding vaccination due to the myth that they have to avoid consuming alcohol for over a month after getting the jab, the experts said it is not true.

They advised that if anyone has fever, throat infection or acute weakness, then the vaccine must be avoided for a few days till the person retains complete physical fitness.

On the question of whether a heart/ kidney patient can take a vaccine, Dr Bishav Mohan said they must take the vaccine without any kind of doubt and there is no need to stop blood thinner, if anybody is already taking it.

Dr Harminder Singh Pannu explained about the efficiency of the current two Covid vaccines on new mutant variants and made it clear that both Covishield and Covaxin are very much effective against the new variants of the virus.

He also debunked the misinformation about the difference between vaccines being administered in the government and private hospitals and said it is the same government which is supplying the vaccines to both government and private hospitals.

On a question when the Covid will be over, the experts said it mostly depends upon the people as to how they tackle it. They said as much as the people adhere to the Covid appropriate behaviour, the pandemic will be contained at the earliest.

“We all must wear face mask, maintain social distancing and adopt hand hygiene daily, otherwise we will continue to face many more waves of the contagion in future,” added the experts in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner.

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