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Nurses from Punjab, Puducherry administer PM Modi’s second Covid-19 vaccine dose
Sister Nisha Sharma from Punjab injected PM Modi, while sister P Niveda, who inoculated the Prime Minister on March 1, was also present. Sister Rosamma Anil accompanied Niveda for PM Modi’s first dose last month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday received his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. For the second dose, PM Modi was injected by sister Nisha Sharma from Punjab, while sister Niveda from Puducherry, who gave the Prime Minister his first shot on March 1, was present for the second one as well.
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Sister Rosamma Anil, from Kerala, accompanied Niveda for PM Modi’s first dose last month.
“Got my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS today. Vaccination is among the few ways we have, to defeat the virus. If you are eligible for the vaccine, get your shot soon. Register on CoWin.gov.in,” tweeted PM Modi with an image of him receiving his second jab. On Thursday, he chose an early morning slot for the vaccination, just as he did for the first dose.
Describing her experience, Sharma told news agency ANI, "He spoke to us. it was a memorable moment for me as I got to meet him and vaccinate him." Niveda, meanwhile, said, "Today I got another opportunity to meet him and vaccinate him. I was elated again. He spoke to us, we even clicked pictures with him."
Modi was administered a shot of Bharat Biotech International Limited’s Covaxin. At the time he received the first dose, the vaccine was mired in controversy as there were allegations that it was given approval without the completion of phase 3 trials. Modi getting injected with Covaxin was seen as a message by the Prime Minister to clear doubts surrounding the vaccine, as well as a call to people to shed vaccine hesitancy.
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Prime Minister Modi, aged 71, got his first dose on a day vaccination opened for those aged 60 or above, as well for those between 45-59 years of age, but with co-morbidities. India began its vaccine drive on January 16, with healthcare workers and frontline workers in line to be vaccinated first. In the ongoing third phase of the drive, which commenced on April 1, vaccination was opened for everyone aged above 45.
Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s vaccine is the other shot cleared by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is manufacturing the shot in the country as Covishield.
As of Thursday morning, more than 87 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in India, the Union ministry of health and family welfare’s (MoHFW) dashboard shows.
