NEW DELHI: An old couple, both of whom would soon turn 90, and four elderly family members who survived
COVID-19 were among the senior citizens who got vaccinated in Delhi on Monday.
The four people, all aged between 60-70 years who had successfully battled the coronavirus infection last November, included a man and his wife, her brother and his spouse.
The second phase of the COVID-19
vaccination drive began, with jabs being given to citizens aged 60 and above, and those in 45-59 age bracket with comorbidities.
Chander Sain Malhotra, 89, a tall man, came to a vaccination site at the
National Heart Institute (NHI) in south-east Delhi, accompanied by his wife, also 89, and his son and daughter-in-law.
Sporting a bright blue t-shirt, he got his blood pressure measured at the starting point of the vaccination centre, located on the third floor of the facility's annexe building, and moved on for formalities, before waiting for his turn to get the jab.
His wife, Santosh Malhotra, was brought to the centre in a wheelchair, with her son and daughter-in-law by their sides.
"She has arthritic pain in her leg, but we wanted to get her vaccinated. And, so all four of us have come for it," said son Rakesh Malhotra, a 63-year-old businessman.
Residents of
Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi, the Malhotras were very keen to get vaccinated. However, his blood pressure was showing a bit over the normal level, so he waited in the corridor, while his wife and parents, queued up for their turns to receive the
Covishield vaccine."My dad retired as a senior officer from Air India and still has keenness to go for a brisk walk in the morning, which he has stopped now due to COVID," Rakesh Malhotra told PTI.
He said his 1932-born father had migrated to India from the Pakistan side after the Partition.
"He survived that and we all have been safe from COVID so far. And, vaccination will further help now. Our PM today led from the front and got the shot himself. It will motivate others to get vaccinated," the son said.
Among other family members who showed up in a group of four to get the jabs were the Sharmas and the Sahels, all four COVID survivors.
Chader Mohan Sharma, 65, and wife Kavita Sharma, 64 came along with her brother Madhusudan Sahel and spouse Rita Sahel at the NHI vaccination centre.
Sharma, who retired from a central government job, said, he and his wife had contracted the infection in November and other family members too were inflected.
"Even some of little children had COVID-19, and touchwood, we all survived it. We hope the vaccine shot will further boost our immunity," Kavita Sharma said.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said 308 centres have been set up at 192 facilities across the city for this phase of the vaccination.
The vaccines being administered free of cost at government hospitals and health centres, while up to Rs 250 per dose charged at private health facilities, including NHI.
Another couple, Anil Chawla and Sunita Chawla, who came together to get the shots, went back smiling from the centre.
"My daughter and son-in-law both are doctors. She only did all the Co-WIN registrations for both of us," Anil Chawla said.
Asked to compare the raging pandemic period last year and the vaccination drive going on at present, Sunita Chawla said, "It's like black and white, darkness and hope, and hope is very essential in life to survive"