As many as 52 frontline health workers who were administered the first dose of vaccine in Delhi reported adverse events following immunisation(AEFI) on the first day of Covid-19 vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus on Saturday.
While 51 reported cases showed minor side-effects including chest tightness and the persons were normalised during the observation period. Only one suffered a severe case of AEFI, which was reported in South Delhi, said a government official. A total of 4319 healthcare and frontline workers were inoculated on the first day in Delhi.
A security guard at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) was rushed to the intensive care unit, after he developed allergic reactions from the vaccine shot. He suffered severe headache, respiratory distress, rashes and tachycardia. He has been kept under observation of doctors at the hospital.
On the other hand, 10 cases of mild reaction were also reported in some districts of Maharashtra, but no major case of AEFI were reported in the state. The state vaccinated over 18,338 of the targeted health workers on Saturday.
The Maharashtra government, meanwhile, has announced the suspension of a vaccine drive till January 18 in western region, due to technical glitches in the Co-WIN app, a digital app developed by the health ministry to provide real-time information about the vaccine administration.
In Kolkata, a 35-year-old nurse was admitted to the critical care unit of a hospital after she lost consciousness within minutes of taking the Covid-19 vaccine. She was among 15,707 beneficiaries who were inoculated across West Bengal. 13 other AEFI cases having minor effects were reported from the state.
While the state of Rajasthan recorded 21 such cases of AEFI in nine districts. Alwar district registered five such cases followed by Barmer with four and Jaipur with three among others.
Meanwhile, around 1.91 lakh beneficiaries comprising healthcare and frontline workers were inoculated on Saturday as the government rolled out the world’s largest vaccination drive against the Covid-19 pandemic. The deadly virus has so far killed more than 1.5 lakh people of the country.
Besides healthcare and frontline workers, additional 3,429 recipients in Defence institutions, including the Indian Army and the Indian Navy were also inoculated with the vaccines.
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The massive vaccination drive was carried out by 16,755 personnel during 3,352 sessions held across the country. The Centre has planned to vaccinate 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the inoculation exercise.
The two vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin, manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Oxford University and AstraZeneca and Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech respectively have been administered to beneficiaries as per guidelines issued by the health ministry.