Jharkhand's Gulshan Lohar lost both his arms; gets Covid-19 jab in thigh

Gulshan Lohar's disability has never stopped him and did not deter him to get vaccinated against Covid-19 either, as he took the first dose of the vaccine in his thigh muscle.

Jharkhand's Gulshan Lohar has no hands, but that never stopped Gulshan from learning computer. Then why should it stop him from getting vaccinated against Covid-19? According to reports, Gulshan went to a healthcare centre on Tuesday to get vaccinated. Covid-19 vaccines are generally administered in the arm muscle. But Gulshan said he can take the vaccine in his thigh muscle. After getting the jab, he reported no side effects, reports said.

Gulshan Lohar operates computer with his feet. (File photo/Twitter)

The existing vaccines against Covid-19 are to be administered through muscles as they are intramuscular vaccines. One nasal vaccine, which is believed to make vaccination hassle-free, is on its way.

According to experts, there is a reason why the arm's deltoid muscle makes a good location for Covid-19 vaccines. Muscle tissues contain immune cells which carry the message (antigen or blueprint for producing antigen) to lymph nodes located just under the armpit. From deltoid muscle, they don't have to travel long. But if the vaccine is injected into the thigh muscle, it coordinated with the lymph nodes on the groin. Hence, it is not a challenge to get vaccinated in the thigh. But as it's inconvenient, Covid-19 vaccines are administered in the arm.

From June 21, India has entered a new phase of vaccination in which the Centre is procuring 75 per cent of the vaccines from the manufacturers and distributing them among the states. On the very first day, India achieved record-breaking vaccination numbers with all states putting up the maximum efforts.

The vaccination drive in India began on January 16 with healthcare workers. In the following phases, frontline workers, people above the age of 45 and then the population above the age of 18 were brought under the ambit of vaccination coverage. In rural areas, vaccine hesitancy is an issue that the administration is fighting as people are doubtful about the vaccine. In such a scenario, Gulshan Lohar's example is being seen as an exemplary one — to many.