Nearly two weeks after registration for vaccination for the 18-44 age group began, many were successful in getting their first jab. The Morning Standard spoke to three residents from Delhi-NCR about their experience:
Esha Gakhar, 32, Content Creator, Faridabad
Three days after registering myself, I easily got the slot for getting the jab at ESI Faridabad. I was administered Covishield at a government institution. Before the jab, I was perfectly fine. But after, I got a mild fever, then a severe headache and then kept on vomiting the entire day. At the centre, there was no social distancing. People don’t listen and ignore following the protocols, no matter how much the management tries. I will get the next jab after 28 days, but there are a lot of people who are still trying to get a slot because one has to constantly monitor the apps.
Jatin Gola, 24, Junior Secretariat Assistant, Ministry of Defence, Paharganj
Coincidentally, I got to know about slot bookings the same night registrations had opened and to my surprise, hundreds of appointments available at various centres. I booked one for the next day at a government school in my vicinity, and got Covaxin. I was apprehensive about getting symptoms, but thankfully I got none. The vaccination centre had a good set up and social distancing protocols were being followed. I’ll get the second dose by next month. I hear a lot from my friends and family about the nonavailability of slots, so I am glad I got mine.
Karan Jaswal, 39, Marketing and Promotion Head, Club BW, Lajpat Nagar
The registration process was not easy. I tried getting a slot close to my home but in vain. A friend managed to book one at 4:00pm. It was a government school in Shalimar Bagh, which is 30km from my house. There was a bit of anxiety. I felt pain while getting the jab, but everything was fine post that. I told all my friends to grab whatever slot and centre they get. I must say that the centre made good arrangements and people followed the safety protocols the whole time.
Rohan Pachori, 30, Marketing Professional, IP Extension
Somehow I managed to register myself after multiple attempts. I got vaccinated at a government school near my house and was surprised to see proper management, right from the entry to being administered the vaccine. I was given Covishield. Later, I got fever later but no severe symptoms. I have to take the second jab after 28 days and before the end of 45 days. Booking the slot was the most difficult part of the whole vaccination process. Still, I would encourage the youth to get their vaccine as soon as possible.
Those from the 18-44 age group, who managed to get the jab, have had diverse symptoms, yet most of them agree that vaccination centres and the public are largely following proper social distancing protocols