‘Vaccine only way to end Covid’

Health Department says individuals must not fall for negativity over their efficacy, side-effects

Hyderabad: The health department and managements of private hospitals in Hyderabad on Friday said that vaccines are the only way to end the Covid pandemic and individuals must not fall for negativity over their efficacy and side-effects.

Maintaining that not a single person has died due to Covid vaccine in the country, health authorities said that in the coming few days, efforts will be intensified and mop-up drives will be organised to ensure all healthcare workers in Telangana get inoculated.

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So far, of the 2.55 lakh registered personnel from private healthcare establishments in the State, 90,000 have received the vaccine. Authorities had set a target of inoculating 2.75 lakh government healthcare workers out of which so far 1,10,000 have received the vaccine.

“Healthcare workers must set an example in getting vaccinated which will encourage frontline workers and other beneficiaries who are next in line. How can you expect others to get inoculated if they avoid vaccine,” Director of Public Health (DPH), Dr. G Srinivasa Rao said.

To ensure proper coordination is in place and healthcare workers, especially from private hospitals, are encouraged to get vaccinated, Dr. Rao held a detailed meeting with IMA, Telangana, and representatives from super-speciality hospitals.

“I myself got administered with the vaccine yesterday and after 24-hours, I have no side-effects at all. I also urge media personnel to report about severe adverse events only after checking with the authorities. Unverified accounts in the media have the potential to impact the vaccine drive,” said Dr. Narendra Reddy, general secretary, IMA-Telangana.

For the past ten months, the Covid pandemic crippled all walks of life and made it impossible to live normally. There is no denying the fact that, in the last few months, cases of Covid have dropped. However, in the coming months, a new variant of the virus may trigger a fresh round of infections. The only way out of this pandemic is through vaccination and healthcare workers and general public should realise it, officials said

The Covid mop-up vaccination drive will be conducted on January 30, February 1, 2, 3 and 5 for healthcare workers from government and private healthcare establishments. “Due to various reasons like ill-health etc, 15 per cent of healthcare workers will not be eligible to get vaccinated and the rest 85 per cent must be vaccinated,” Dr. Rao added.

 

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