Shimla: Amidst the surging Covid cases, the state National Health Mission has appealed to the general public to come forward for the vaccination.
Dr Nipun Jindal, MD State NHM, clarified that the Covid vaccine is safe and effective against the coronavirus.
Dr Nipun, in a statement, appealed that “all eligible people should come forward for vaccination so that the risk of deaths can be substantially reduced.”
He said that that only two persons have died even after taking two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Jindal informed that one of the deaths that was occurred after four days of taking the second dose of the vaccine.
“After the analysis we have found that those who have taken two doses of vaccine are safe,” Dr Jindal said.
Raising concern over the hesitancy for taking jab, Nipun said “although the pace of vaccination in the state has been good but vaccination drive has witnessed a decline in the last few days. This has happened because people are hesitant and are not volunteering to get themselves vaccinated.”
“Instructions have been given to the districts for ramping up of vaccination, it’s important for those who are eligible for vaccination to know the potential benefits of the same” Dr Nipun further added.
The state has seen an unprecedented surge in the number of Covid cases in the past couple of months. The active cases have steadily increased from 218 on February 23 to around 11, 000 in a very short span of time. The surge observed in the second wave is much higher and steeper than the case progression in the first wave.
“During the first wave, the effective preventive measures available against the Covid disease were primarily social distancing, hygiene and use of mask, but during the ongoing second wave, we have vaccination” Dr Nipun added.
He said that till date, as many as 12.33 lakh people have been vaccinated in the state out of which 1.55 lakhs have been given the second dose as well.
