Vaccine is completely safe, says doctor who got first jab in Gujarat

This caused me alot of anxiety.I feel relieved after vaccination, she said.A majority of around 50 nurses who were given thevaccine shot on the first day at the civil hospital wereworking in COVID-19 wards, she said.Infection specialist Dr Atul Patel, another member ofthe states task force on COVID-19, said feeling apprehensionis normal as the vaccine on coronavirus is new, but there isno reason to worry.We know that side effects among almost half ofbeneficiaries during trials are very mild, like body painand headache.

The coronavirus vaccine iscompletely safe and inoculation is the only way to overcomethe pandemic, said Dr Naveen Thacker, a paediatrician whobecame the first recipient of vaccine jab in Gujarat onSaturday.

For Jalpa Gandhi, a nurse at the Ahmedabad civilhospital who has been attending to coronavirus patients fromday one, getting the shot meant relief from gnawing anxietythat she may catch the virus while at work.

Dr Thacker, a member of the state government's taskforces on coronavirus and mass COVID-19 vaccination, andGandhi were administered Covishield vaccine at the civilhospital here. So were many other doctors and nurses.

''As you can see, I have not felt any adverse effecteven an hour after getting inoculated. I am blessed to be thefirst recipient...The vaccine is totally safe, effective, andwe can defeat coronavirus only when all of us get vaccinated,''Dr Thacker said.

''This is the beginningof a final war,'' he said,adding that misleading rumours have always dogged vaccineswhen they appeared two centuries ago, but one should not fallprey to them.

Nurse Jalpa Gandhi has been on what she calls ''COVID-19 duty'' from March 22, 2020, when the first coronaviruspatient in the state was admitted to the civil hospital.

''I wore PPE kits when attending to patients, butthere was always this apprehension that I might get infectedand would end up infecting my family members. This caused me alot of anxiety.

''I feel relieved after vaccination,'' she said.

A majority of around 50 nurses who were given thevaccine shot on the first day at the civil hospital wereworking in COVID-19 wards, she said.

Infection specialist Dr Atul Patel, another member ofthe state's task force on COVID-19, said feeling apprehensionis normal as the vaccine on coronavirus is new, but there isno reason to worry.

''We know that side effects among almost half ofbeneficiaries (during trials) are very mild, like body painand headache. Nearly 30 per cent may even get a fever. A fifthof the beneficiaries may even get joint and abdominal pain.

''But these side-effects are very mild and we shouldnot worry too much about them as they can be easily resolved,''Dr Patel said.

''It is the most safe and secure vaccine, which haspassed through several trials and experiments,'' said Dr KetanDesai, a former president of the Medical Council of India whowas also among the first to get inoculated here.

Of 100 health workers who were administered COVID-19vaccine at the civil hospital, nearly half were doctors,including critical care specialist Dr Maharshi Desai, publichealth expert Dr Dileep Mavalankar, immunology expert Dr SapanPandya, and many doctors attached to the hospital itself.

Medical Superintendent of the civil hospital Dr J VModi was also vaccinated.

Over 16,000 healthcare workers are set to bevaccinated on the first day across the state.