Following the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Uttar Pradesh (UP), the Ghaziabad ranked second in the Meerut division and fourth in the State. On the first day, it recorded 95 per cent vaccination to health workers and others while Baghpat, with 96 per cent vaccination, topped the list in the division.
In the first phase, 21,000 health workers are scheduled to take the vaccination in the first phase, and 27,000 doses of vaccine have been received for this already.
Speaking at a media workshop on Rs Rs Strengthening Health Communication—Corona Appropriate Behaviour and Vaccination’’ organized by the District Health Society (Ghaziabad) with the support of Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), Dr N K Gupta, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) said on the first day 400 health workers were scheduled to be vaccinated against which 379 took the vaccination.
The CMO said the role played by media in creating awareness during Coronavirus pandemic was highly appreciable and no less than other warriors such as health workers, frontline workers and police.
Dr Gupta said body will start developing immunity to fight Coronavirus 42 days after taking the jab. “Hence, we are repeating the importance of following protocols even after vaccination. These include wearing masks, maintaining social distance and frequent hand washing with soap and water. These precautions will also help in preventing other infectious diseases,” he said.
The next rounds of vaccination in Ghaziabad will take place on January 22, 28 and 29 at 30 centres across the city, covering about 11,800 health workers.
In the second round as many as 42,000 frontline workers would be vaccinated. The CMO said that in the first phase health workers, frontline workers, those above 50 years and those with co-morbidities but below 50 years were vaccinated.
Dr Singh expressed the hope that by then the vaccination would be available in the market also. He said the positivity rate now was less than 1 per cent and with vaccine available, India would be able to overcome the pandemic.
Dr Sunil Kumar Tyagi, ACMO, asked the people, particularly journalists to verify all information available in the social media. He said all sorts of disinformation and misinformation was being floated in the social media that sometimes resulted in vaccine hesitancy.
“We had limited resources and lots of doubts and fears initially. But now that we have the vaccine, and we are nearing to end the pandemic, it is the media that can play a role in removing vaccine hesitancy,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta, Nodal Officer for COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr Gupta said the government was ready to face the challenges that were likely to be encountered by them in the near future and appealed to the media to follow the guidelines and talk to the experts before writing anything unconfirmed in their respective media outlets.
Dr Avinash Aggarwal, district president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said the vaccine was safe and all IMA members are promoting vaccines.
Dr Aggarwal said the new mutant was highly infectious and affected the children but the mortality was not high. “The vaccines are effective on this variant as well. Fever, rashes, and stiffness were normal reactions to vaccines as were seen during the vaccination of children. It only meant that the vaccines were active in making antibodies in the individual,” he added.
