Assam Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Jan 16: After two lakh-plus infected and over 1,000 persons lost their lives, Assam on Saturday launched the much-awaited COVID-19 vaccination drive along with rest of the country with a hope to eliminate the fatal virus and bring life back to normal.

Officially launching the vaccination at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) here on Saturday morning, Health & Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that 2020 was an extremely tough year for the world, adding that the people of Assam showed exemplary courage by fighting with the COVID virus.

"In our lifetime we have never come across a pandemic like COVID-19. I pray that such days do not come back again. Doctors and Health workers have shown exemplary courage and dedication by treating the COVID-infected patients by risking their own lives. So, doctors and Health workers deserve to get the vaccination doses first," said Sarma.

Assam has so recorded 2.15 lakh COVID-19 positive cases and deaths of 1,020 infected persons.

Dr Umesh Chandra Sarma (70), former Vice-Chancellor of the Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS), became the first person to get the COVID-19 vaccine in the State when he received the shot at the GMCH at 11.07 am on Saturday.

"I have spent more than half of life by serving the Health department in Assam. I served as Director of Medical Education, Assam and also as the first Vice-Chancellor of SSUHS. I feel humbled that the government chose me as the first recipient of the vaccine in Assam based on my contributions," said Dr Sarma.

After doing his MBBS from the GMCH, Dr Sarma did his MD in preventive and social medicine from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. He has also received a degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

"From my vast experience as a doctor, I would like to appeal to all the people in the State to get vaccinated without any fear or apprehension. It's only through vaccination that we will be able to win the battle against COVID-19. It is my ardent request not to get into a debate on the efficacy of different vaccines as they have been released for mass use after going through proper research," said Dr Sarma.

Dr Sarma was administered the first dose of the vaccine by Daisy Das, a nurse at GMCH. Dr Dhrubajyoti Borah, former Principal of the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed College and Hospital, Barpeta was the second to get vaccinated followed by Dr Ilias Ali, Padmashri recipient and former Head of the Department of Surgery at GMCH. Nine other senior doctors were vaccinated on the first day.

The first stage of the phase-I vaccination drive will cover 1.90 lakh COVID-19 warriors who have to be physically in touch with COVID patients. The next phase will comprise around one lakh frontline personnel of the police and paramilitary forces. A population of around 90 lakh is to be vaccinated in the State. Stage-1 of this drive is expected to take around a month.

A person will be immunized 45 days after the date of taking the first doze. The second doze will be given 28 days after the first one. After taking the second doze, it takes 14 days for a person to be immunized.

"A person may experience some adverse impacts like headache, fatigue, weakness, arthralgia and nausea during vaccination. That's natural. The person concerned may consult the nearest doctor for such cases. We're going to make all arrangements for that. However, I appeal to all to stay away from rumour mongering as that may play spoilsport," said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Two different types of vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin – are going to be administered during this drive. For taking Covaxin one has to give written consent, but for Covishield just the verbal consent will suffice.

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