India took a step forward in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic on Monday as it began the process of administering the vaccine to citizens. With some help from the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech s Covaxin - developed with the help of the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology - and Covishield which was jointly processed by the Oxford University, British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune, the country found hope as pictures of people taking the shots surfaced. The inoculation drive entered its second phase on Monday in which the coverage was expanded to include everyone above 60 and those over 45 with co-morbidities.
Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan along with his wife Nutan Goel received their first Covid vaccine doses on Tuesday in the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute.
Coronavirus: Dr Harsh Vardhan and his wife received their jabs at the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute
New Delhi:
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, a day after the second phase of the mega vaccination drive against the virus began in India. Dr Vardhan received his jab of the indigenous Covaxin in front of cameras at the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute. His wife Nutan Goel too was vaccinated.
The minister and wife paid Rs. 250 each, the capped fee for Covid vaccine shot at private institutes.
As per protocol, they were kept under observation for 30 minutes after the inoculation. Me and my wife.neither of us have experienced any side-effects so far, he told reporters. I appeal to all those who are above 60 and above 45 with comorbidities. Please go ahead and get vaccinated either at government or private hospitals.