Vaccine is the solution but don’t lower your guard, 100-year-old urges others

“There is no need to have any concerns about vaccination and its efficacy. Everybody, particularly the old people and those with comorbities, should get the vaccine. Vaccination is the best solution to overcome all these difficulties,” Chowdhry said.

“Har musībat kā diyā ek tabassum se javāb, Is tarah gardish-e-daurāñ ko rulāyā maiñ ne (For every adversity in life, I answered with a smile. With this (attitude) I made all such adversities cry)”: hundred-year-old Jai Dev Chowdhry quoted a nazm (verse) of poet Shaukat Ali Khan and said that a positive attitude in life could help people overcome the difficulties during the pandemic.

100-year-old Jai Dev Chowdhry was administered the first dose of the Serum Institute of India-manufactured Covishield at Medicover Hospitals, Madhapur on March 1.

Chowdhry was administered the first dose of the Serum Institute of India-manufactured Covishield at Medicover Hospitals, Madhapur on March 1. While he was scheduled to get the second dose on March 29, the government on March 22 increased the interval between the two doses from 28 days to 4-6 weeks.

The ministry of health and family welfare took the decision on the recommendation of two expert groups – the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) and National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC).

But, Chowdhry insists, he has faced bigger crisis than the apprehensions surrounding the vaccine.

“I have gone through more difficult times and faced more pains during my life. What can this injection do? I faced every difficulty with a smile because of my positive attitude, and this pandemic too I have overcome with a smile. So, I happily got vaccinated and it only made me feel more positive,” Chowdhry, a retired businessman, said.

His family runs Gemini Edibles and Fats India Pvt Ltd which produces the Freedom brand of refined oils.

“There is no need to have any concerns about vaccination and its efficacy. Everybody, particularly the old people and those with comorbidities, should get the vaccine. Vaccination is the best solution to overcome all these difficulties,” he said. Chowdhry is not suffering from any comorbidities.

“I felt absolutely fine [after the vaccination] and didn’t feel any inconvenience. I am a little more relaxed now, because I am told I can meet people,” Chowdhry, who lives with his son Pradeep, 65, in the upscale Banjara Hills area of Hyderabad, said.

His relief turned to joy when Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited Chowdhry’s example to motivate others for vaccination during his Mann ki Baat address on March 28. “The 100-year-old man Jai Chowdhry from Hyderabad has taken vaccine and it’s an appeal to everybody to take the vaccine, too,” the PM said.

Chowdhry said he took inspiration from the PM. “When Modi sahab could get the vaccination jab, it must be safe for everybody. There was no need to feel any trouble in taking the vaccine even at this age,” he said. The Prime Minister received the first dose of his vaccine on March 1 in New Delhi; he was administered the second on April 8.

Chowdhry also lamented that the vaccination drive wasn’t started earlier. “Being isolated within the house I felt like I was in a jail. It has been a long time since I have met my relatives and friends. Even with my family, how much can I talk when everyone is wearing masks,” he said.

Most of Chowdhry’s relatives reside in Delhi and would visit him often before the pandemic struck, he said. “It was fun spending time with my cousins, nephews, nieces… All of it came to an abrupt halt during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

Now, he said, he can socialize with people again. “I can call my friends, sit with them, gossip and enjoy a good card game,” he said, insisting that vaccines are the only way to arrest the spread of Covid-19. “Moreover, there is so much fear of coronavirus [disease] everywhere in the country and the world, so vaccination is the only solution and only way to fight the virus. It is good for the society,” he said.

The centenarian, however, also advised caution against letting “your guard down”.

“We still have to be cautious till all the people get vaccinated. I know vaccination doesn’t give you complete protection and we still need to be careful in following the norms. You cannot let your guard down completely,” Chowdhry said.

Pradeep, who has also received the first dose of the vaccine, said that they only let people who have been vaccinated meet the 100-year-old. “Since the worst period is not yet over, we are a little cautious. Only two or three people who got vaccinated are being allowed to meet him,” he said.