Vaccine hesitancy amongst healthcare workers must end, medical expert and NitiAayog member Dr V.K. Paul said on Tuesday, amidst heightened concerns over adverse events following immunisation and incomplete clinical trial data of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
A total of 6.31 lakh people have been inoculated so far since the commencement of the vaccination drive on January 16. About 580 adverse events have been reported so far, out of which seven required hospitalisations. Two people died in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka following vaccination, but their deaths are not related to the vaccine.
“Vaccine hesitancy in health care workers must end. How will we fight the pndemic? Vaccine hesitancy must be extinguished before the pandemic extinguishes us,” said Dr. Paul at a press conference.
He said that serious problems related to the vaccine have been found to be negligible, unfounded, and insignificant. “We would like to assure you that these vaccines are safe and do not excite any undue reactogenicity and are being accepted increasingly.” “The world is clamouring for the vaccine. Here, In India, the country made the vaccine, got them to the doorstep, and still if the healthcare workers are not taking it, it is saddening. I would request them to accept it. In the few days, we aim to vaccinate the healthcare workers and start the non-Covid facilities,” Paul said.