India joins the league of countries that have approved their own vaccines against coronavirus. The two vaccines that have been granted nod for emergency use are -- AstraZeneca-Oxford (Covishield) and Bharat Biotech (Covaxin).
The approval from the competent authority means that India is now ready to roll out the drug for the public use. The Ministry of Health has shared a three-part video series to answer several queries of the public on the vaccination programme. The series feature AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria answering all the questions about the vaccine that people want to know before preparing for taking shots.
Will the Covid-19 vaccine be given to everyone simultaneously.
This will depend on the availability of the vaccine. The government has selected the priority groups who will be vaccinated based on risk factor.
The first two groups will include healthcare and frontline workers. The third group will include persons over the age of 50 years and persons under 50 years with comorbid conditions.
Is it mandatory to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
The vaccine for Covid-19 is voluntary. But it is advisable to take the vaccine.
How many doses of the vaccine will have to be taken?
Two doses of vaccine.
What is the interval?
Beneficiaries have to take two doses of vaccine 28 days apart to complete the vaccination schedule.
When will antibodies develop?
Antibodies will develop in body two weeks after taking the second dose.
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What about side-effects?
There will be some degree of common side-effects. It could be in the form of mild fever, pain, body ache etc. The government has asked all the states and UTs to make necessary arrangements in place to ensure the safety of the public.
Is registration mandatory for taking vaccine?
Yes. The government has made the registration mandatory for taking the shots. The government has announced a dedicated app -- Co-Win app for real-time monitoring of vaccine. Once the registration is success, the concerned person will receive an SMS.
Who all are eligible for vaccination?
The government has set priority groups. The eligible people will be informed through their registered mobile number. They will be informed about the health facility where the vaccine will be provided and the schedule as well.
What documents you need for registration?
Photo ID is must for registration and verification. The documents one can produce for registration include driving license, Health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of Labour Ministry), MGNREGA job card, official cards issued by MPs, MLAs/MLCs, PAN card, passbooks, passport, pension documents, service ID cards (issued by governments/public ltd companies), Voter ID.
Once a person receives the due dose, he/she will receive an SMS on the registered mobile number. After all the doses are administered, a QR-code based certificate will be sent.
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If one is taking medicines for illness like can he/she take the vaccine?
Yes. persons with one or more of these comorbid conditions are considered a high-risk category. They need to get Covid-19 vaccination.
Is it necessary for a Covid recovered person to get vaccine.
Yes. It is advisable for recovered persons to receive the full dose irrespective of the past of infection.
Can a person having Covid-19 infection be vaccinated?
Infected individuals should defer vaccination for 14 days after symptoms resolution as they may increase the risk of spreading the virus to others at the vaccination site.
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