Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday urged people to “pay no heed to rumors” as the testing of Covid-19 vaccination began across the country. “I call on people not to pay attention to rumors. Ensuring the safety and efficacy of the vaccine is our priority. Different kinds of rumors were spread during the polio vaccination, but people took the vaccine and India is now polio-free, ”Harsh Vardhan told ANI news agency. The Health Minister spoke to reporters after visiting the government-run Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB), one of three selected sites in Delhi for the vaccination trial.
“Feedback received after the four-state trial was included in the vaccination guidelines, and today’s trial in all states and territories of the Union is being conducted under the new guidelines. Except for the application of the vaccine, all procedures are followed during the drill, ”he added.
Saturday’s pan-India drill will take place after the exercise was held on December 28 and 29 in four Andhra Pradesh states, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab. The one-day activity will cover the capitals of all the states and territories of the Union as the country prepares for the launch of what will be the world’s largest immunization campaign. In Delhi, in addition to the GTB Hospital, the other two selected sites are the Daryaganj Primary Health Center and the private Venkateshwara Hospital.
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On Friday, the first day of the New Year, the country took a further step towards obtaining the Covid-19 vaccine when the independent committee of subject matter experts (SEC) gave its approval for use in cases of emergency to Covishield of the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca. The vaccine, which will be manufactured in India by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), needs final approval from the Controller General of Drugs of India (DCGI), where it will be reviewed next.
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