100 Tamil Nadu healthcare workers Nadu to get vaccinated on Day-1

More than 480,000 healthcare providers including doctors have registered through the Co-WIN software to get the jab

On Day-1 of nationwide rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, 100 healthcare workers across 166 sites in Tamil Nadu will get innoculated. The state government will roll out vaccines for Covid-19 tomorrow.

Dr Vinay Kumar, Joint Director, Directorate of Public Health Care and Preventive Medicine, Chennai said that more than 480,000 healthcare providers including doctors have registered through the Co-WIN software to get the vaccination.

He said the final number of volunteers registering for the vaccination would be known on January 25 the time frame for registration for the frontline workers.

The State of Tamil Nadu is fully equipped for the vaccine rollout and has made all the arrangements and facilities like the cold chains that involve the transportation and storage of the vaccines at 2-8 degree Celsius. Healthcare providers at various levels have been trained regarding the vaccination. As per the information from the Government of India, tomorrow (January 16)the vaccine will be given to 100 healthcare providers across 166 sites in the state, he said.

Reiterating that the Government is taking steps to create awareness and allay fear and hesitancy among the people on Kumar said that in order to create a feeling of trust, 10 eminent persons will get vaccinated tomorrow after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the drive.

 

The list of the personalities, however, is yet to be finalised, he added. The choice of vaccine (Covishield, Covaxin) is purely voluntary. He said, it is important that the recipient is given the same vaccine during the second dose (after 28 days) as well, he stressed.

Dr Melvin George, Co-Investigator in Covaxin trials at SRM Hospital and an Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, SRM Medical College Hospital, Kattankulathur, said that early clinical trials showed the vaccine to have immunogenicity as high as 88 per cent, which was very promising.

The cost effectiveness of Covaxin and Covishield along with its storage requirements make it a more compelling option for the Indian population. Stating that there are claims regarding the mutation of virus, he stated that viruses would usually take more time for multiple mutations to make the vaccine ineffective and so the fear of the vaccine not being ineffective due to these minor mutations could be laid aside for the time being at least.

“It is necessary that people trust the expert authorities appointed by the drug regulators for judging the data of trials. It is important that the public do not fall prey to misinformation.” Regarding the side effects of the vaccines, George said that minor side effects such as fever, tiredness, nausea for one or two  days could be seen with the vaccine.