Noida: Several front-line workers refuse to take Covaxin jab

NOIDA: A sub-inspector of the Gautam Budh Nagar police was waiting for his turn to get Covid-19 vaccine at the Super Specialty Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute (SSPGTI) in Sector 30

NOIDA: A sub-inspector of the Gautam Budh Nagar police was waiting for his turn to get Covid-19 vaccine at the Super Specialty Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute (SSPGTI) in Sector 30. However, the moment he came to know that he would be administered Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, he refused to take the jab.

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“It’s a complete discrimination. There must be a uniformity in vaccination. If my colleagues have got Covishield vaccine, why’ll I get another vaccine? Unlike the beneficiaries of other sessions, we are being asked to fill a form. Even my family doctor has advised me against taking the vaccine,” he said.

A CRPF jawan at a private hospital in the city created the similar scene. “I had been waiting for my turn since morning. But, when I came to know that I would be administered other brand of vaccine, I chose not to take the shot,” he said.

HT has withheld names of the two persons who refused to take the shots.

After administering the Serum Institute of India’s (SII) Covishield vaccine in six sessions of phase 1 and first two sessions of phase 2 of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, the GB Nagar health department on Friday began giving Covaxin shots to the front-line workers for the first time in the district. But the beneficiaries appeared more confused about the efficacy of Covaxin. According to official data, only 2,850 out of 5,625 front-line workers listed for the day took the shots, with a turnout of around 51%.

The GB Nagar chief medical officer (CMO), Dr Deepak Ohri, agreed that many front-line workers are doubtful about the accuracy of Covaxin. “We are trying to convince them about the efficacy and accuracy of the vaccine. But, so far it has not yielded very encouraging results,” he said.

District vaccination officer Dr Neeraj Tyagi said that inoculation took place at 45 booths in the district on Friday. “We administered Covaxin for the first time to 2,080 out of 4,375 enlisted for it (47.54%) at 34 booths and 770 Covishield to 1,250 registered for it (61.6%) at 11 booths. We’ve given certificates of inoculation to the beneficiaries, who have been administered Covaxin today,” he said.

Tyagi further said that with one session left in phase 2 of vaccination, the district health department has to inoculate the remaining 12,349 front-line workers (out of 18,717 registered beneficiaries) in that session. “We’ll try to accommodate the remaining beneficiaries in that session. And the left out front-line workers will be inoculated during the mop up round on February 22,” he said.

On the other hand, Ohri said that the low turnout has become a matter of concern for the district health department. “We’ll try to increase it to an optimum level in the coming sessions. However, during Friday’s inoculation, no adverse event following immunization (AEFI) was reported,” he said.