BENGALURU: The first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Karnataka began at 243 sites across the state, including nine in Bengaluru, on Saturday minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched it through video-conferencing. Nagaratna K, a 28-year-old ward attendant at Victoria Hospital, became the first one to receive the jab in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar.
While some districts saw very few beneficiaries turning up to take the jab, there were also technical glitches with the CoWIN app which resulted in some delay in starting the drive. However, there were no major side-effects reported among the beneficiaries other than giddiness, pain and swelling in the vaccination area.
Addressing a press conference in the evening, after a discussion with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, the state health minister said, “It was a historic moment for us. Our scientists have developed vaccines for Covid-19 in just 10 months. Every citizen is indebted to our scientists and institutions. I also thank the PM, the CM and all other leaders who guided us.”
In Dakshina Kannada, 279 docs refuse to take shot
Till afternoon, only about 25 per cent of health care workers and frontline warriors had turned up at the vaccination sites. Only later, the state saw a turn out of 60.2 per cent of registered beneficiaries. “Though many people had registered and a target was set accordingly, the apprehensions about side-effects of the vaccine prompted some health care workers to refrain from getting the jab,” explained a senior doctor. In Bengaluru, 59 per cent of health care workers got vaccinated on the first day.
According to the data released by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, “Of the 539 people targeted to be vaccinated in the six zones of BBMP, 351 beneficiaries took the vaccine. In the other three BBMP rural zones, the target was 277 for day 1 and 146 took the jab.” The East Point Medical College site in Bengaluru had the lowest number of beneficiaries with only a total of 40 turning up while the target of beneficiaries the day was 97. In Tumakuru, about 30 per cent of the beneficiaries did not turn up.
Similarly, in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Raichur districts, an average of 65% of beneficiaries got vaccinated. In Karwar, about of 50 per cent of the identified beneficiaries took the vaccine. In Dakshina Kannada, a whopping 279 doctors and medical staff refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine due to apprehensions. The authorities had set a target of 600 for the first day – 100 each at the six vaccine centres spread across the district. But due to some glitch in CoWIN app, the authorities had to leave out 92 from the drive on Saturday and carry on with the remaining 508.
Of them, only 229 turned up to get the vaccine. Dakshina Kannada District Health Officer Ramachandra Bayari told TNSE that while 62 persons refused to take the jab after arriving at the vaccination centre, 217 did not even turn up. He attributed it to rumours making the rounds about the vaccine and hoped that from Monday onwards, they will be able to achieve 75-80 per cent of target. In the districts, Group-D workers who got the vaccination were elated that their efforts in the fight against the pandemic were recognised by the state government.
However, in several districts, despite elaborate planning and even though most of the recipients had arrived well in time at the vaccination site, issues with the CoWIN portal hampered the drive. “This was evident from the number of people vaccinated. Mysuru recorded 324 recipients by 3 pm against a target of 860 and Chamarajangar reported 375 against a target of 600,” according to data by the officials in Mysuru. Speaking about the delay, a nodal officer who did not want to be identified, said that they had not faced such issues during the dry runs and said it was unfortunate to have face delays on the first day. “We had the list, so we entered the details manually and halted the vaccine delivery until the portal became responsive. The issue should be resolved at the earliest.
Otherwise, when all the vaccination sites become active from Monday, the delay may get worse,” he pointed out. Interestingly, Group-D and non-clinical health workers, top medical officers and deans of the medical colleges in districts like Ballari, Shivamogga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere and Chamarajnagar, where Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which had attracted criticism over lack of trial and efficacy data, was supplied, took the jab as a confidence- building measure.
Mandya Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi, said that even though many had raised concerns about the data of the phase-3 trial, it is absolutely safe and added that those who received the jab will be monitored for a week’s time as a precaution for any health issues. In places where Covaxin was administered, those who got the vaccine had to sign a mandatory declaration to report any health issues at the earliest.
This was done at a few sites in Chamarajanagar district, but not in the other districts. While there were no major side-effects reported in the state, three cases of giddiness were reported from Kalaburagi district in the afternoon and one case of headache was reported in a beneficiary at Nimhans, Bengaluru. He was given a paracetamol and i t subsided immediately, reports said. As per reports, a health care worker in Aland and three from Chincholi suffered giddiness after getting the Covishield vaccine.
They were immediately treated and they have recovered within an hour, official sources said. However, the State Government seem to have not taken enough measures to provide the fact sheets, informing recipients about the vaccines they are being given and the side effects from the vaccine. In some of the sites, TNIE reporters found that the beneficiaries were orally being told by the vaccinators.”
Day’s count
60.2% of the total registered beneficiaries in state took the vaccination shot
59% in Bengaluru; of which
65% in the six zones of Bengaluru Urban, 53% in Bengaluru Rural Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Raichur districts saw an average of 65%