Aurangabad, Jan 21:
The misconceptions and rumours playing around regarding the COVID vaccine could now be a thing of past as many private medical practitioners, of age above 50 years age, volunteered to take the vaccine at the different vaccination centres, in the past three days.
The vaccination drive started in all over the country and the city from January 16. The vaccine is given to the doctors and the paramedical staff in the first phase.
The vaccine is looked upon as effective preventive medicine to get rid of Coronavirus. Taking of vaccine by doctors is enough to prove that it is safe for all health care personnel. The district civil surgeon Dr S V Kulkarni said that this is a good sign that the veteran doctors initiated in taking the vaccine.
The president of Indian Medical Association (IMA-Aurangabad chapter) Dr Santosh Ranjalkar said that he is 53 years old and serving patients from the date of taking the vaccine. He said," I had also performed three hours-long surgery. The health care personnel had served patients during the Covid-19 pandemic for nine long months. Some of them even faced death while serving. It is a recognition that the health care personnel are getting a chance to take the vaccine first. Do not harbour any fear about the vaccine, if you are ageing."
Adds a medical director at Dhoot Hospital, Dr Vijay Borgaonkar, " We all faced and are facing the Coronavirus pandemic. As a result, we need to take the vaccine. I am 68 years old. The day I took the vaccine, I performed three surgeries. I had not felt any side-effects of it. Hence the health care personnel should not hesitate in taking it."
The paediatrician Dr Datta Kadam said, " I have completed 70 years of my age and took the vaccine on the first day. It is safe. Many of my colleagues (doctors), who are above 60 years age, took the vaccine. We were waiting for the vaccine impatiently. Now it is available to us. There is no need of fearing to it."