BHOPAL: The Government of India, on Sunday, approved two vaccines for inoculation against Covid-19. Drugs Controller General of India granted the approval to Oxford vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and the indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech. Mass vaccination is likely to begin within a couple of weeks. It will be voluntary.
People in the city are ready to get vaccinated, citing, they hardly have any option. They say the process of registration for vaccination should be publicised. Some of them, however, may keep away from the injection, fearing side-effects. Others prefer to wait and watch.
Operation manager of Network People Service Technology (NPST), Nitesh Nagesh, 30, told Free Press that he will definitely go for vaccination. He said that if given a choice, he will opt for the Indian vaccine. "It is my country's product. Why should I shun it," he said.
Nitesh said that the government should give adequate publicity to the process for registering oneself for vaccination. "The details should be disseminated in different languages through mass media," he said. Nitesh also feels that the government should remove the glitches that have come to light during the dry runs.
Twenty-two-year-old Shalini Malviya, who studies in Hyderabad Central University, would like to know about the results of the trials before going for vaccination. "I would like to go for the vaccine which is more effective and has lesser side-effects. I would make sure that my body is not being used as a laboratory," she said.
Shalini said that she would go for inoculation as she cannot afford to sit at home. "I have to travel, I have to meet people. So, if the vaccine can reduce the risk of contracting the disease, I will go for it," she said. Shalini is even ready to get injected with both the vaccines!
Mahesh Saxena, 75, an author, said that he would definitely go for the jab. As for side-effects, Saxena said, "Every drug, every injection has some or the other side-effect. When we go to a doctor we do take the drugs and injections prescribed by him or her. There is something called faith," he said. Usha Johri, 80, however, has decided not to take the vaccine. "I don't know what kind of side-effects it would have," she said.
Divya Sharma, 45, who works for a private company, would also not go for vaccination. "When all others around me would be vaccinated, I would be automatically protected," she said.
Iqbal Beg, 51, a businessman, said that he would prefer to wait and watch. "I have just seen a video showing that a nurse died within 17 minutes of getting the injection," he said. Beg would like to wait for some time and see how things unfold.
