Vaccination drive begins in Uttarakhand

You must show patience and wait for at least one-and-a-half months, the chief minister said.Describing the vaccine as perfectly safe, Rawat said there was no adverse report from anywhere about it during its clinical trials conducted in three stages.You shouldnt pay heed to the rumours and follow what the experts and scientists say, Rawat said.Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama, MLA Khajan Das, Health Secretary Amit Negi were among those present when the first vaccine shots were administered to healthcare workers at the newly-built out patient department of the Doon Hospital.

The vaccination against coronavirus began in Uttarakhand on Saturday with healthcare workers getting the first shots of the vaccine at the Doon Hospital here in the presence of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

A total of 3,400 healthcare workers will get the first shot of the vaccine at 34 centres, including government and private hospitals across the state on Saturday.

Thirty-two out of the 34 healthcare facilities where the vaccination exercise is underway are government hospitals, including AIIMS Rishikesh. Two private hospitals -- Himalayan Medical College and Guru Ram Rai Medical College -- are also among them.

The vaccination is taking place at five centres in Dehradun district, four each in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts, three in Nainital and two each in the remaining nine districts.

The first consignment of 1.13 lakh vaccine doses are to be administered to 50,000 healthcare workers in the first phase of the inoculation exercise, the chief minister said.

After the first phase, frontline workers, people over 50 years and those with comorbidities will be vaccinated, Rawat said.

He asked people not to lower their guard as they had now got the vaccine, saying wearing masks and social distancing must continue.

''The antibodies begin to form two weeks after the second dose, which is administered on the 28th day after the first. You must show patience and wait for at least one-and-a-half months,'' the chief minister said.

Describing the vaccine as ''perfectly safe'', Rawat said there was no adverse report from anywhere about it during its clinical trials conducted in three stages.

''You shouldn't pay heed to the rumours and follow what the experts and scientists say,'' Rawat said.

Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama, MLA Khajan Das, Health Secretary Amit Negi were among those present when the first vaccine shots were administered to healthcare workers at the newly-built out patient department of the Doon Hospital.