Me Too Vaccinated!

Day 01.06.2021... Got vaccinated!

I was not going to. I had not even thought of getting the vaccination at least not this week. The drive for vaccinating 18+ got started on 28th May in our office. 

Some one sent a message on WhatsApp group that slots are free and no rush... So people were rushing like an opportunity not to missed. 

Surprisingly, a few of those covidiots whom I have never seen neither wearing masks proper and never missing a chance to gossip were the first ones to get vaccinated! I was under the impression that they considered themselves as superhumans whom the virus could never touch! Guess, superhumans also have weaknesses! 

Vaccination is a safety net for the one vaccinated but they could be a carrier and pass on the virus to others. I wonder should I name them Selfish or am I just over thinking! Left to see how they would be behaving after the vaccination... Because no where any one has said that once vaccinated we can discard the covid appropriate behaviors! 

Neither do I want to be infected nor do I wish to be a carrier! 🙏 

My boss came and kind of informed me of the centre asking me to go if I wanted to. I was literally in a dilemma. 

Should I or shouldn't I? 

The vaccination for 18+ had started on May 1st but due to shortage of vaccines it had not been going on full fledged like when it was for 60plus and 45plus. And, I had been thinking I will do it once my parents second dose is done... Around this month second week! I had all those questions that I am sure many had and still have... doubts... Fears... are they efficient... any unknown side effects? They were so strong almost pulling me back! But, anyway went ahead... some safety is better than nothing, I guess! 

It felt like an invasion... Letting some stranger into my blood stream... Into the core of my body... I could almost imagine my whole inner body gearing up to face this unknown forced entry! All those chaos because of a stranger in the midst! 

Initially for 45+, our office had given Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV). Covaxin is developed using Whole-Virion Inactivated Vero Cell derived platform technology i.e., they are inactivated vaccines which do not replicate and are therefore unlikely to revert and cause pathological effects. They contain dead virus, incapable of infecting people but still able to instruct the immune system to mount a defensive reaction against an infection. The technology similar to those in the vaccines for diseases such as Seasonal Influenza, Polio, Pertussis, Rabies, and Japanese Encephalitis.

But for 18+, they are giving Covishield. I think because of shortage! Covishield - the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine created by the Serum Institute of India. It is a recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein. Following administration, the genetic material of part of corona virus is expressed which stimulates an immune response.

Anyways, time only will tell how efficient they are! For now, I am nursing my injected arm trying to reduce the pain and had a paracetamol for the fever and headache I felt when I woke up this morning. Amma is not letting do any work so it's my absolute day off! 😁

May doze off any moment... dreaming the battle of corona within me! 

Let the good conquer the evil. 🙏

02.06.2021

Corona - The Fight Continues

Oh, it's New Year and I haven't written anything! Of course no one reads my posts!! (Ha ha) Still I am Hope... For all my future readers a very Happy New Year 2021!!

Year 2020 had started off normal turning into a chain of unexpected events like straight out of a movie! Year 2021 is continuing but with hope... The fight against the dreaded corona has taken a new turn... A Hope... A confidence...

We are starting with Vaccination and so many speculation... so many questions... doubts are coursing through our minds at this time... 

"How safe would it be? 

Will it be effective as claimed? 

What would be the side effects?

Would we succeed in getting rid of Corona finally - for good?"

All of us are by now done with this life full of restrictions and scare. Anyway, I think, many (most) of us have already started with normal life - doing everything that we once did. May be with the exception of having to wear a mask... Which mostly I see draped around the neck..like some fashion statement! Would this vaccination finally get rid of the "albatross around the neck"?

As per today, 5,63,500 doses of vaccine is delivered to different states. And the vaccine rollout would start from 16th January in a phased manner as per the Government.

The initial phase would cover about one crore health workers and two crore frontline workers..

In the next phase, those above 50yrs of age and those with associated co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, HIV, Cancer, chronic diseases etc would be considered. 

In subsequent phases others... Probably the Government may give open access via the private market to healthy adults, teenagers, children and lastly to neonates.

Covishield developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and Covaxin developed by Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research are the vaccines approved for restricted use in emergency situation vaccine that may prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals 18 years of age and older.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has issued a fact-sheet to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) that vaccine beneficiaries might have.

"The Covishield vaccination course consists of two separate doses of 0.5 ml each. The second dose should be administered between four to six weeks after the first dose. However, there is data available for administration of the second dose up to 12 weeks after the first dose from the overseas studies," the fact-sheet reads.

The second dose is a must because as per the fact sheet the protective immune response will happen 4 weeks after the second dose of Covishield vaccine.

After numerous tests and trials, the Government has given the approval but still how can we not doubt. It had never happened before and probably may not happen in near future... some experience akin to a movie! And, over that the controversies, discussions and doubts... "The Oxford one or our own indigenous one?"

Covid virus seems to be varying... Especially with the findings of a new strain... "How effective would these vaccines be?"

"How will the whole process be monitored?"

Covid-19 vaccination drive will be virtually launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16. On the same day, PM Modi will also launch the Centre’s CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network) app to track listed beneficiaries for vaccination on a real-time basis. Right now, only officials have access to it and is being used as back-end software to kick-start the first phase Covid-19 vaccination for 1 crore healthcare workers whose data is being pre-populated in the application. When it does become open to everyone, it will have four modules -- user administrator, beneficiary registration, vaccination and beneficiary acknowledgement, and status updation. The app has two parts - one that will be used by the beneficiary and the other that will be a back-end module that will be used by vaccinators. The app is likely to be made accessible to the general public for registration by the end of March 2021.

All good, but is it mandatory for all to get vaccinated. "What if we are not sure about it? Do we have a say?" Of course, the vaccination is voluntary...

And, if we decide to take the vaccination, "what would be the side effects?" 

And, hygiene, mask, 6 feet precautions are to be followed even after vaccination. Vaccination doesn't mean every thing is back to normal. Hope people would understand especially those who go around wearing Mask as an ornament around the chin/neck!

Let's wait and see... I have my fingers crossed. Let's join hands and support the vaccination drive. May the efforts pay. May we soon see a Covid-free world again. 

Jai Hind!

P.S. All images and notes are from My Gov official site. All FAQs on COVID-19 vaccine rollout can be found here.