As India prepares to roll out the COVID-19 vaccines of Serum Institue of India and Bharat Biotech, after they were granted permission for restricted use in an emergency situation, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare addressed apprehensions expressed by the public regarding the COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness, safety and availability.
In a video issued by the Health Ministry, AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria answered frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 vaccination including vaccine dosage saying that two doses of the vaccine will have to be taken 28 days apart. He further added saying that protective levels of antibodies would develop two weeks after the second dose.
He further informed that after all doses of the vaccine are administered, a QR-code based certificate will be sent to the beneficiary on his/ her mobile number. The patients have been recommended to take rest for at least 30 minutes after the vaccination.
What can the patient do if he/ she feels any discomfort?
The AIIMS Director recommended that if anyone feels any symptoms or any kind of discomfort after the vaccination, they must contact the nearest health authorities immediately like ANM, ASHA workers so that they can attend to the problem.
Do people still have to follow COVID norms after vaccination?
Dr Guleria has urged people to continue following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour such as maintaining social distancing and wearing of masks.
Can people get shots of different COVID-19 vaccines?
The AIIMS Director cautioned saying that the different COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable. He said that people should complete their entire schedule of vaccination by one type of COVID-19 vaccine only.
What about those who had COVID-19?
Dr. Guleria recommended that those who actively had COVID-19 should defer vaccination for at least 14 days after symptoms are resolved. He stated that we do not know how effective the vaccine will be when one is already having an active infection so for this reason, the active and symptomatic individuals should take the vaccine dosage at least 14 days after symptoms go away.
He added saying that such cases would increase the risk of spreading the infection to others at the vaccination site.
Should those who have recovered from COVID-19 get vaccinated?
Dr Guleria stated that those who had recovered should also receive the complete schedule of the COVID-19 vaccine to help in building a better immune response against the disease.
Is it safe for people with severe comorbid conditions to take the COVID vaccine?
The AIIMS Director said that it is very important that individuals who have one or more comorbid conditions like cancer, diabetes and hypertension take the vaccine, as they fall under the high-risk groups. He added saying that their existing medicines will not interfere with the vaccine efficacy.
Will there be any side effects after vaccination?
Dr. Guleria said that some degree of common side effects like mild fever, body ache and pain at the side will likely be seen in some individuals. He added saying that the states have been asked to start making arrangements to deal with any COVID-19 related side effects.
Will the COVID-19 vaccine be given to everyone simultaneously?
In response to this question, Dr. Guleria said that it would depend on the availability of the vaccine and the government had selected priority groups who will be vaccinated first based on risk factors.
The priority group will include healthcare and frontline workers, followed by people above the age of 50 years and people under 50 with comorbidities. According to Dr. Guleria, this will be done to avoid any inconvenience in the registration and vaccination of beneficiaries.
How will eligible people get to know about their vaccination details?
The AIIMS Director stated that the eligible beneficiaries will be informing regarding the vaccination details through their registered mobile numbers. They will be informed of the scheduled time and the health facility where the vaccine will be provided.
Are the two COVID-19 vaccines safe?
While addressing the apprehensions about the safety of the vaccine considering it has been introduced in a short span of time, Dr. Guleria said that safety is the most important factor and all standard precautions have been followed in the past for the approval of the vaccine. He also added saying that the vaccine in India would be as effective as those developed by other countries.
Registration of beneficiaries mandatory for vaccination.
•All beneficiaries would be required to register online for vaccination and the documents required for the same include driving license or Health Insurance Smart Card, MGNREGA Job Card, PAN card, Passbooks issued by Banks/Post Office, Official identity cards issued by MPs/MLAs/MLCs, Passport, Pension documents, Service ID cards issued by the Central or State government and public limited companies or Voter ID cards.
•The same document will have to be produced at the time of vaccination.
•After the online registration, the beneficiaries will receive an SMS on their registered mobile number regarding the date, place and time of vaccination.
•After the completion of the vaccination, the beneficiary will receive an SMS on their registered mobile number.
Challenges in the Vaccination Process
Speaking on the challenges in the vaccination process, Dr. Guleria said that the challenges are going to be both from the administration and the public point of view. He said that the challenge from the administration's point of view will be to ensure that things run smoothly and from the public point of view will be to reassure them that this is a safe and effective vaccine.
He further assured that the country has established a cold chain, which is being maintained and enough doses are being delivered to all locations. He said that the vaccinators are there to vaccinate and this has to be done twice and the ultimate challenge will be to conduct the entire process without any glitch.
Background
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on January 2, 2020 granted approval for the restricted use of the COVID-19 vaccines of Serum Institute of India (Covishield) and Bharat Biotech (Covaxin). The CDSCO accepted the recommendations of the Expert Committee and accordingly gave the approval.
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan had termed it as a "watershed moment" in India's battle against COVID-19 through a tweet. He further said that these vaccines are a fitting tribute to our corona warriors and express heartfelt gratitude to all healthcare professionals & frontline workers for their exemplary efforts during these unprecedented times.
These vaccines are a fitting tribute to our corona warriors!
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) January 3, 2021
My heartfelt gratitude to all healthcare professionals & frontline workers for their exemplary efforts during these unprecedented times.
Congratulations to all the scientists & researchers for their untiring efforts.
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