Municipal officer 1st to get Covid vaccine in Kalyan, she has a message

Around 2,300 people will get vaccinated in Thane district on Saturday across 23 centres set up in the district

The vaccination drive began at 10.50 am in Kalyan city in Thane district of Maharashtra, nearly 30 kilometers from Mumbai, with the 54-year-old medical officer of health at Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, Ashwini Patil, getting the first vaccine shot. Around 2,300 people will get vaccinated in Thane district on Saturday across 23 centres set up in the district. The district has a stock of 1.5 lakh syringes for the drive.

Patil said the vaccine was a new beginning for everyone. (HT Photo)

Patil, who took the first dosage of Covishield vaccine at Rukminibai civic hospital in Kalyan, said," I took the first vaccine to give the message that there is nothing to worry. I want all the health workers to come forward and take the vaccine dose. I feel completely safe even after 30 minutes of the vaccination. This is a new beginning for all of us."

Vasant Kulkarni, 45, who works as a ward boy at Rukminibai civic hospital in Kalyan, was infected by coronavirus in August and was under treatment for 12 days. He also took the vaccine at the hospital on Saturday. "I deal with accident cases in the hospital, which is a crucial responsibility. If I don't take a preventive vaccine shot, I won't be able to work tomorrow. It was not at all stressful, as a matter of fact, I feel safe now," Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni waited in the observation room for 30 minutes and didn't report any adverse effects. He later resumed his work at the hospital.

The drive started in the rest of Thane at around 11.50 am. Kailas Pawar, civil surgeon of the Thane civil hospital, was the first to be vaccinated there.

Pawar said, "There has been a lot of apprehension among people regarding the vaccine, we would like to set an example by being the first to get the vaccine in the district. This is safe, tested and a reliable vaccine. Today health workers that include sanitation workers, ambulance drivers, doctors and nurses between the age group of 20 to 58 years will get vaccinated."

The vaccinators will also be immunised later in the evening, informed Pawar.

The vaccination drive has not yet started in Navi Mumbai and Panvel due to some glitches in the system. The vaccination in Thane civil hospital was stopped due to a server error after only one person was inoculated.