Over 9,500 healthcare workers vaccinated in MP on first day

Sanitary workers were among thefirst to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots in Madhya Pradesh onSaturday as a total of 9,564 persons were inoculated in thestate on the first day of nationwide drive.

As the registered beneficiaries arrived at vaccinationcentres, they were welcomed with flowers in some places, whilein Gwalior, doctor performed puja at a Hanuman temple beforethe drive began.

As of 5 pm, 9,564 persons had received the jab at150 centres across Madhya Pradesh, while only eight cases ofminor Adverse Event Following Immunization (side effects) werereported, said health officials.

Vaccination centres in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior andat some other places were decorated with flowers and balloons.

As many as 4.17 lakh healthcare workers are to beadministered the vaccine in the first phase in the state.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited avaccination centre at Hamidia Hospital here and spoke withsome of the beneficiaries.

Hailing the ''corona warriors'' for treating people whenthe pandemic was at its peak, Chouhan urged people tofollow all the safety protocols even after vaccination.

The state has received 5,06,500 doses of Covishieldvaccine so far.

''In the first phase of the drive, 4.17 lakh personswill be administered the vaccine. Of these, about 57,000healthcare workers will receive the vaccine in the firstweek,'' Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary said.

In the second week, another 55,000 healthcare workerswill receive the vaccine, he said.

In the evening, Choudhary along with the state healthdepartment officials held a virtual meeting with UnionMinister for Health Dr Harsh Vardhan and reviewed the firstday's progress in MP.