After a long, dreadful wait of more than a year, the vaccine for Covid-19 has finally arrived in the market. The vaccination drive for the Indian-made Covid-19 vaccine namely Covishield started on 16th of January 2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the drive that is considered as the world’s largest vaccination drive to eradicate Covid-19.
Here in J&K, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the vaccination drive when healthcare workers administered the first dose of the vaccine to a sanitation in-charge of GMC Jammu. Speaking on the occasion, Sinha said the Covid-19 pandemic was a big challenge for humanity and governments alike, and the Coronavirus vaccine has only become possible due to the untiring efforts of doctors, medical experts, scientists, and researchers.
Although everyone was restlessly waiting for the vaccine, but after its launch, a majority of people seem hesitant to go for the vaccine shots. The reason is clear: Covishield has been approved without the crucial, third stage trial that involves thousands of people. Even the Pfizer-made vaccine has resulted in various complications. On 16th January, at least 23 people died in Norway, shortly after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine.
These side effects of Covid vaccination raise many doubts and questions. Here in Kashmir, people, including the frontline workers, are hesitant to go for vaccination shots because of the reports of the vaccine’s adverse reactions. Reportedly, many doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff have refused to take the shots in the first round. Such hesitancy among medical personnel is a major concern. It is a troubling development, especially since the unvaccinated staff can transmit the disease to vulnerable patients, leading to complications and even death.
To allay these concerns, many top doctors and administrative heads of various prominent medical institutions went for the vaccination shots in the first phase. It was just to encourage and instil trust among the people for the vaccine. Those who volunteered to take the shots in Kashmir include Director SKIMS and many others. Those hesitant ones are perhaps waiting to see the results of the vaccine at a larger level involving many people. Whatever the reasons, skepticism is a human trait. When it comes to matters of life and death, caution is a natural reaction. But let’s take the claim of the Prime Minister and other scientists seriously. Covishield is a revolution to eradicate the dreadful pandemic of Coronavirus, and the day is not far when all the people will come forward to receiving the vaccine shots.