GURUGRAM: Savita (34), an
anganwadi worker, stepped out of the session site at Chauma and took a few selfies with other healthcare workers. She had just taken a shot of the Covid vaccine and was feeling hale and hearty.
When TOI approached her and asked if she knew what vaccine she had been given, Savita wore a blank look on her face. “I know it’s only a Covid vaccine,” she shrugged.
Like Savita, most of the healthcare workers who were inoculated at the Chauma centre had no idea about the make and specifications of the vaccine they were being injected. Chauma is the only centre in Gurugram where
Covaxin shots are being given. Most of the healthcare workers who were listed for the
vaccination here were anganwadi and ASHA staff and were unaware that there is another make of the Covid vaccine called
Covishield.
Covishield has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and is being manufactured in the country by the Serum Institute of India. On the other hand, Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and has been approved while still undergoing phase 3 clinical trials. Health officials have vouched for both the vaccines as being equally effective and have said they are unlikely to cause any side effects.
The turnout at the Chauma site, which was set up at DPSG School in Palam Vihar, was particularly low on Saturday. Of the 104 healthcare workers who were listed for the vaccination here, only 39 turned up. And of them, 35 were women. Most of the vaccine recipients TOI spoke to said they just signed the consent form because the vaccinator asked them to do so and did not read what the contents were.
Aanand Lata (46), who has been working as an anganwadi worker for the past 19 years, also did not know about the difference between Covaxin and Covishield.
“All I know is that it’s a vaccine for Covid. When the Covid numbers were rising in the district and people were hesitant to even step out of homes, we went around containment zones to collect data and even distribute ration. So, even if some of our families are apprehensive, we decided to get ourselves vaccinated first. If we don’t come forward, how will others?” asked Lata.
At 11.28pm, she was the first to get the Covaxin shot at this centre.
After the vaccination, Lata complained of uneasiness and her blood pressure also shot up. However, doctors at the Chauma centre who examined her said she was on medication for hypertension and had not taken her morning dose. Lata was kept in the observation room for an hour and was allowed to leave only after she said she felt better.
Another anganwadi worker, Renu, complained of nausea. She was kept under observation for more than 30 minutes and left for home after she felt better. Doctors called them up later to enquire about their health.
While anganwadi and
ASHA workers were not aware about Covaxin, nurses of the health centres in Chauma and Laxman Vihar said they very well knew the difference between Covaxin and Covishield and did not have any apprehension about taking the shots.
Before the 39 recipients were given the vaccines at the Chauma site, their photo IDs were checked and details such as addresses and contact numbers noted down. They were then asked to sign the consent form, which had the exact time and date of the vaccination, contact details, and a set of nine questions.