Appu GAPAK
NAHARLAGUN, Jan 22: Amidst apprehension of Covid-19 vaccine, many health care workers (HCWs) from the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) who have been vaccinated are back to the grind after having to go through the usual effects of immunization and no adverse event following immunization (AEFI) whatsoever. Out of the 800 beneficiaries registered from the hospital, only 600 have been vaccinated so far.
Chief Medical Superintendent, TRIHMS, Dr Hage Ambing informed that only one doctor on the first day of immunization developed some skin rashes during the observation period of 30 minutes after being vaccinated. “However that too subsided after some time,” he said.
Among the many HCWs who have had to face slight side effects of the vaccine, Dr Ambing is one of them. “A mild body ache developed a few hours after I was administered the vaccine yesterday. But then these are normal and accepted side-effects,” he added.
Dr M Pertin of TRIHMS who was also vaccinated yesterday says he only got a little feverish for which he used the term ‘flushing’. Bhaskar Doley, a multi-tasking staff of TRIHMS, was the last one to get vaccinated on 16th- the first day of immunization. The first day went fine with no side effects. Conditions like fever, chills, joint pain and diarrhoea only began a day later. “I had fever which went upto 105 degrees,” he said.
Bhaskar said he was given Paracetamol to get better and by the third day, he was back to doing his usual office work. He said that many of his peers also came forward for vaccination after seeing him.
Sanitary assistant Akash Ali who was given a vaccine on the first day also had fever which subsided after he took paracetamol. He resumed his duty a day later. “I am feeling absolutely fine now with no problem at all,” he said, adding that all of his friends have got themselves vaccinated.
Unlike those who had to go through mild to moderate side effects of the vaccine, there are also few who did not suffer any effects at all.
Nursing officer of TRIHMS, Yajum Bulo, who also got vaccinated yesterday, said she had no side effects. “I got my shot at 9.29 am and then continued to do my duty normally. I did not suffer from any side effects later also,” she said.
Security personnel of TRIHMS Renuka Mosahary who was vaccinated on the first day also had nothing to call as side effects. “I continued with my duty after the shot. Nothing happened to me,” she said.
Renuka’s supervisor Gopal Keyang also did not face any problem with the vaccination. “After 3-4 days I only had a slight pain in the spot where I was given the vaccine. However, the pain has gone now,” he said.
Lady health visitor from UPHC Itafort, Tage Munya, the designated vaccinator for today, got herself vaccinated on the first day. She says she did not suffer any severe side effects apart from mild feverish feeling.
She stated that after seeing her interview with a news channel on the first day of the immunization, many people called her up and asked about her experience and also expressed their willingness to get vaccinated after seeing her. “They said they felt encouraged,” she said.
She, however, expressed concern over the fears of many people and wrong information regarding Covid-19 vaccine doing rounds in social media. “People need to understand that some mortality that is being attributed to the Covid-19 vaccine has happened because of the pre-existing condition of the patient. It is not because of the vaccine,” she further added.
There are many staff who are not yet ready to get vaccinated. “We have to request people to come and get vaccinated. There are certain reservations. They don’t want to take it immediately. There are also people who come up with excuses,” informed CMS Dr Ambing.
Meanwhile, security personnel Joka Doke is waiting for his turn to get vaccinated which will be in a day or two. “If we have to secure ourselves from this dreaded disease, we have to get vaccinated,” he says encouragingly.