TN rolls out COVID-19 vaccination, govt doctor gets first vaccine shot

Tamil Nadu on Saturday rolledout the COVID-19 vaccination drive at 166 sites across thestate with a government doctor here becoming the first to beadministered the shot.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami said everyone, including himshould get vaccinated, but priority, however, was only forfrontline workers such as the doctors and health workers.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Covishieldand Covaxin vaccines, he said today is a 'historic' day andlauded the PM for the nation-wide launch.

''We had a dry run in 226 locations. Now the vaccinationdrive is launched in 166 sites in Tamil Nadu,'' the ChiefMinister said.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said 2,368 people,including doctors and health workers, have been vaccinated(till 3.30.pm) in Tamil Nadu with both Covishield and Covaxinvaccines.

Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA)president Dr K Senthil was the first to be administered thevaccine in the state at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH)premises here in the presence of Palaniswami, his Cabinetcolleagues and senior officials.

A government staff nurse and a woman sanitary worker werenext to be vaccinated.

Prof Dr Senthil, who was part of the team that treatedcoronavirus patients at the GRH said, ''We saw agony, pain andmany deaths due to coronavirus.

We have been waiting for the vaccine for the past 10months and it arrived sooner than we expected and we thank theState and Central governments for it. For me, this is both anopportunity and a luck to get the vaccine.'' He said he felt mild pain when he got the injection,adding that the the virus could be driven out of Tamil Naduwith mass vaccination.

Vice Chancellor of government run Tamil Nadu Dr MGRMedical University, Dr Sudha Seshayyan, Dean of Madras MedicalCollege and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital Dr ETheranirajan, Dean, Government Omandurar Medical College andHospital,Chennai,Dr R Jayanthi were administered the vaccines.

Deans of other government medical college hospitals wereamong those to get the shots in Tamil Nadu.

Dr Jayanthi, many hours after the vaccination said shewas normal. ''I am okay and normal,'' she said.

Before the vaccination, the identity of beneficiarieswere checked and they were observed for 30 minutes followingvaccination at the observation room. Their data was uploadedin a government mobile application.

Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, Dr Prathap C Reddy,Director, MGM Healthcare, Dr Prashanth Rajagopalan, chairman,Dr Agarwal's group of eye hospitals, Prof Amar Agarwal,noted gynecologist Dr Kamala Selvaraj were among those whoreceived the vaccine shots in Tamil Nadu.

Mostly Covishield vaccines were used in Tamil Nadu onthe first day of the exercise.

The government had said on Friday that eminent doctorswould get the vaccine shots and steer the vaccination drive inthe state.

Palaniswami, after presiding over the launch of thevaccination drive here said, ''everyone should for sure getvaccinated. You and I have to get vaccinated. Those from yourand my family too should get the vaccinated.'' The vaccination is aimed at protecting everyone in thecountry, he told reporters here, adding priority was, however,would be given to doctors, health workers and others at ahigher risk of contracting the coronavirus, he said.

On apprehensions about the vaccine and steps to allayfears, Palaniswami said: ''During the initial stages itcould be there and will fade later. Who is the first to takevaccine? It is Dr Senthil, president of the TNGDA.'' Also, a host of doctors, nurses and other healthworkers came forward and got vaccinated, he said adding thefact that medical doctors were now getting vaccinated wouldhelp allay apprehensions.

The vaccination session sites in Tamil Nadu were deckedwith banners and flowers announcing the vaccine roll-out.

The first people to get vaccinated were presented abouquet in several, places including Vellore.

Palaniswami said the government had in total received5,56,500 doses of the vaccine for the first phase ofvaccination. It includes 5,36,500 Covishield doses and 20,000doses of Covaxin, he said.

Dr Prathap C Reddy, who was the first to receive the dosein Apollo hospital's vaccine drive said,''the vaccine marks theturning of the tide in the fight against the novel coronavirusthat brought the world to its knees for almost a year.'' Lauding the government for its ''bold steps and fasttracking the vaccine approval,'' he said ''for India, this is alandmark moment as the vaccines are being manufactured in thecountry...a proud moment and a milestone in our efforts tobecome self-reliant or Atmanirbhar in healthcare.'' Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Ministers,including Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Revenue MinisterR B Udhaya Kumar, took part in the vaccine roll-out event herein southern Tamil Nadu.