NEW DELHI, Mar 30: The union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday sought to end vaccine hesitancy and asked people not to believe in adverse rumours about the Corona vaccines.
The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has so far affected more than 12 million people in the country and killed more than 162,000.
“Both Indian vaccines are safe and effective. A lot of people still have doubts regarding vaccines. I urge them not to believe what is being circulated in WhatsApp university,” Vardhan said referring to “false information” shared on the widely-used messaging application.
“There are only a few rare cases wherein people contracted Covid-19 after taking vaccines. Even if someone tests positive after taking vaccines, it minimalises the chances of their hospitalisation or admission to ICU wards,” he added.
The health minister made the remarks after he and his wife, Nutan Goel, received the second dose of vaccine at the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute. Harsh Vardhan, who took the first dose of the vaccine on March 2, also said that neither of them felt any side effects after the first dose.
Harsh Vardhan also said seven more vaccine candidates were in various stages of clinical trials. “Some of them are in the advanced phase of the trials. Around two dozen vaccines are in pre-clinical trials,” he said.
According to the health ministry data on Tuesday, 6,11,13,354 vaccine doses have been administered through 10,07,091 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7am, during the national inoculation drive against Covid-19.
These include 81,74,916 healthcare workers, who have taken the first dose, and 51,88,747, who have taken the second dose, and 89,44,742 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose and 37,11,221 who have taken the second dose, it said.
The health ministry said 68,72,483 people aged 45 to 60 years with specific co-morbidities have received the first dose and 405 the second dose. In the category of those more than 60 years of age, 28,219,257 have got the first dose and 1,583 the second dose, it added.
The country’s vaccination drive started on January 16 with healthcare and frontline workers being inoculated against Covid-19 in the first phase. The second phase started on March 1 where doses are being administered to people above the age of 60 and those between 45 and 59 years with specific comorbidities. The government has decided to vaccinate all above 45 years from April 1.
India reported 56, 211 new cases of the coronavirus disease and 271 related deaths in the last 24 hours.
(Manas Dasgupta)