Key Points:
- There is no evidence that the vaccine is not effective against the new forms of corona found in the UK and South Africa.
- Indian COVID-19 vaccines have gone through multiple tests and trials and are effective against Coronavirus.
- Vaccination is voluntary.
- There are no scientific evidence to suggest that the Covid-19 vaccine could cause infertility.
- Some individuals may have side-effects such as mild fever and pain at the site of injection and body ache.
- One cannot contract Covid-19 because you have been injected with a vaccine, but it is possible to have caught Covid-19 and not realise you have the symptoms until after your vaccination appointment.
- COVAXIN and COVISHEILD have been found to generate equal amount of immunity after inoculation.
With the Covid-19 vaccination drive starting on Saturday, 16th January, India’s Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan burst the bubbles of myths related to the Vaccine. Obvious questions like- Can one catch COVID-19 from the vaccine? Are there any known side effects of COVID vaccine? And Can COVID-19 vaccine cause infertility in men and women? were all answered by the Health Minister.
The Health Minister posted a series of graphics on his private Twitter handle and the Ministry of Health has retweeted the answered questions on the side-effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Rumors are humming as India has reached ‘THE Day’ when it rolls out the world’s largest vaccination programme.
Myth 1 – The Covid-19 Vaccine will not be effective on the UK variant.
Truth – Dr Vardhan wrote, “There is no evidence that the vaccine is not effective against the new forms of corona found in the UK and South Africa.”
Myth 2 – Only Health Workers, Senior Citizens and Children Below The Age Of 10 Will Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19.
Truth – “No! For the first phase of vaccination, the government has chosen people belonging to high-risk group. In the first phase of India’s Coronavirus vaccination drive, 30 crore citizens will be vaccinated. The vaccination drive will begin with 1 crore health workers followed by 2 crore frontline workers and 27 crore people above the age of 50 and below 50 years with co-morbidities,” Dr, Harsh Vardhan.
Myth 3 – India’s Coronavirus Vaccines are Less Effective Than Other Countries’ Vaccines.
Truth – Bursting the Myth, Dr Vardhan guaranteed that Indian COVID-19 vaccines have gone through multiple tests and trials and are effective against Coronavirus.
Myth 4 – Vaccination is compulsory for all.
Truth – Dr. Harsh Vardhan tweeted answering, “No! Vaccination is voluntary. Though, it is recommended that full doses of the vaccine are required to prevent the spread of the virus.”
Myth 5 – Covid-19 vaccine causes infertility in Men and Women.
Truth – “There are no scientific evidence to suggest that the Covid-19 vaccine could cause infertility. Kindly do not pay heed to such rumors of information from unverified sources,” Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
Answering some of the obvious questions like:
Question 1 – Are there any known side-effects of the vaccine?
Answer – Harsh Vardhan said some individuals may have side-effects such as mild fever and pain at the site of injection and body ache. However, these side-effects are temporary and should go away on their own after some time, he added.
Question 2 – Can a person catch Covid-19 from the vaccine?
Answer – “One cannot contract Covid-19 because you have been injected with a vaccine, but it is possible to have caught Covid-19 and not realise you have the symptoms until after your vaccination appointment,” read the tweet by the Union Health Minister.
Question 3 – How Many Covid-19 Vaccines are available in India?
Answer – COVISHIELD from Serum Institute of India and COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech are the only 2 vaccines approved for ‘Emergency Use’ in India.
Question 4 – Which vaccine is better?
Answer – Both COVAXIN and COVISHEILD have been found to generate equal amount of immunity after inoculation.
Question 5 – Can one get the first shot of COVAXIN and the second of COVISHEILD?
Answer – It is recommended that an individual should be vaccinated with the same vaccine twice as there is no data to assess the degree of immunization by mixing the two.
Question 6 – Who should avoid getting vaccinated?
Answer –
1] People who had reactions from the vaccine before
2] Pregnant/Suspected Pregnant Women
3] Lactating Mothers
4] People allergic to vaccines, injectables and pharmaceuticals.
Question 7 – Who should Delay getting the vaccine?
Answer – Delay by 4-8 weeks of recovery if one:
1] Has Covid-19 Symptoms
2] Had/Have Covid-19 and have received anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma
3] Acute illness individuals
