17,072 More Health Workers Get Jabs on Day 2: Govt to Meet Pharma Majors Over Vaccine Drive Today
Government officials, along with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, are likely to hold a meeting with representatives of pharma industries and other stakeholders to discuss the future course of Covid vaccination efforts on Monday.
New Delhi: As many as 17,072 beneficiaries were vaccinated on January 18 as India conducted the second day of the coronavirus in 553 sites across six states, the Union Health Ministry stated on Sunday evening. With this, a total of 2,24,301 healthcare workers have been vaccinated in the Centre's first phase of the inoculation drive that is now underway in the country.
Government officials, along with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, are likely to hold a meeting with representatives of pharma industries and other stakeholders to discuss the future course of Covid vaccination efforts on Monday. In the meeting, officials are expected to discuss the subsequent course of vaccination drive in the country as well as the export of COVID-19 vaccine to other countries.
Here are the developments from Day 2 of COVID-19 vaccination drive:
1. At least 447 cases of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) have been reported in the past two days. Of them, three cases were serious in nature and required hospitalisation, the Health Ministry noted.
2. The six states where the vaccination drive was carried out on Sunday are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu, he added.
3. During the daily press briefing today, the health ministry said that the states have been advised to plan the coronavirus vaccination sessions four days a week to minimise disruption of routine health services. Some states have announced their dates already, the ministry added.
4. The drive will be carried out three days a week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nagaland and Odisha, and two days a week in Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
5. Earlier today, a 22-year-old security guard at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, was admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) after he developed an allergic reaction following inoculation a day ago.
6. Meanwhile, at least 13 people in Israel have suffered mild facial paralysis as a side-effect post Coronavirus vaccination. The Health Ministry said that the actual number of people suffering from such side effects could be higher than reported.
7. A similar incident was reported in Norway recently as 23 people of the aged section died after receiving the Pfizer's mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine. Last month, four volunteers who were given Pfizer vaccine shots during the trial stage had developed Bell's Palsy in the UK.
8. In West Bengal, a controversy erupted on Saturday after the BJP alleged that several ruling Trinamool Congress leaders, including two MLAs, were administered COVID-19 vaccines meant for frontline workers, resulting in a shortfall of doses in the state.
9. In the first phase of the coronavirus vaccination drive, health workers and frontline workers have been kept in the priority group by the Centre and are being administered free vaccines.
10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out the world's largest inoculation drive against COVID-19 on Saturday and said the two vaccines being deployed will ensure a "decisive victory" for India against the pandemic.
Published:Sun, January 17, 2021 11:56pm | Updated:Mon, January 18, 2021 12:00am