As the apprehensions around efficacy rate of Bharat Biotech's Covid 19 vaccine Covaxin continues to create fear, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr C Vijayabaskar, who is also a medical practitioner and an IMA member, takes Covaxin shot in Chennai, says, doing this to 'instill confidence'.
Earlier he took to Twitter to say, 'I am doing this as a doctor and member of IMA, to instill confidence among Health Care Workers. I request all to get vaccinated and safeguard themselves from #COVID19.'
Earlier this week, state health secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan also took the jab on the second day of the vaccination drive in Trichy. Later he told ANI, "Both COVID-19 vaccines are safe. I am happy how healthcare workers in the state are responding to vaccination."
As the government continues to vouch for India made vaccine, many opposition leaders like Manish Tewari, Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor and others have questioned the efficacy rate of the vaccine. Centre and the health ministry and even the broader medical fraternity have vouched for the vaccine saying it's completely safe.
In the recent past, the doctors at the RML hospital in Delhi expressed doubts regarding the Covid 19 vaccine, saying there is "lack of complete trial" adding more fuel to the fear.
Dr Nirmalya Mohapatra, Vice President of RML Hospital resident doctor association, said they had come to know that only Coxavin, has been provided to the hospital.
"Clinical trials of the vaccine are being held. I would have participated in COVID vaccination drive if we would have had been provided with Covishield vaccines too," he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Randeep Singh Guleria, director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who was one of the first doctors to take the jab soon after the vaccination drive started in India declared it to be safe.
Clearing the doubts about the efficacy of India's first coronavirus vaccine, Guleria said, "I want to reassure everyone that the vaccine (Covaxin) is safe. It is efficacious. We have to vaccinate a huge number of people prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection and therefore we can't start being very choosy. We must have confidence in our researchers, scientists, and regulatory authorities."
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