Covid Vaccine FAQs: Centre Replies To Queries As Vaccination Drive In India Likely To Begin By Early 2021

In the FAQs released, the Health Ministry answered some key questions related to the vaccination drive against the coronavirus. Here's all you need to know.

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New Delhi: As India is all set to roll out the world’s largest vaccination drives against the Covid-19 pandemic by early 2021, the Union Health Ministry answered some frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the administration of the vaccine for the general public. In the FAQs released, the Health Ministry answered some key questions related to the vaccination drive against the coronavirus pandemic such as when is a vaccine expected, will it be given to everyone and is it mandatory to take the vaccine, etc. Here are some FAQs as answered by the Union Health Ministry: Q. Is a Covid-19 vaccine scheduled anytime soon? A. Yes, vaccine trials are under different stages of finalization. The government of India is geared to launch a vaccine for Covid- 19 soon. Q. Is it mandatory to take the vaccine? A. Vaccination for Covid-19 is voluntary. However, it is advisable to receive the complete schedule of the Covid-19 vaccine for protecting oneself against this disease and also to limit the spread of this disease to close contacts including family members, friends, relatives, and co-workers. Q. Will the Covid-19 vaccine be given to everyone simultaneously? A. Based on the potential availability of vaccines the Government of India has selected the priority groups who will be vaccinated on priority as they are at higher risk. The first group includes healthcare and frontline workers. The second group to receive the Covid-19 vaccine will be persons over 50 years of age and persons under 50 years with comorbid conditions Q. Will the vaccine be safe as it is being tested and introduced in a short span of time? A. Vaccines will be introduced in the country only after the regulatory bodies clear them based on their safety and efficacy. Q. Can a person presently having Covid-19 (confirmed or suspected) infection be vaccinated? A. Person with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 infection may increase the risk of spreading the same to others at the vaccination site. For this reason, infected individuals should defer vaccination for 14 days after symptom resolution. Q. Is it necessary for a Covid-19 recovered person to take the vaccine? A. Yes, it is advisable to receive a complete schedule of the Covid-19 vaccine irrespective of past history of infection with Covid-19. This will help in developing a strong immune response against the disease. Q. Out of the multiple vaccines available, how are one or more vaccines chosen for administration? A. The safety and efficacy data from clinical trials of vaccine candidates are examined by the Drug regulator of our country before granting the license for the same. Hence, all the Covid-19 vaccines that receive license will have comparable safety and efficacy. However, it must be ensured that the entire schedule of vaccination is completed by only one type of vaccine as different Covid-19 vaccines are not interchangeable. Q. How will I know if I am eligible for vaccination? A. In the initial phase, Covid-19 vaccine will be provided to the priority group- Health Care and Front-line workers. The 50 plus age group may also begin early based on vaccine availability. The eligible beneficiaries will be informed through their registered mobile number regarding the Health Facility where the vaccination will be provided and the scheduled time for the same. This will be done to avoid any inconvenience in the registration and vaccination of beneficiaries. Q. What about the possible side-effects of the Covid-19 vaccine? A. Covid-19 Vaccine will be introduced only when the safety is proven. As is true for other vaccines, the common side effects in some individuals could be a mild fever, pain, etc. at the site of injection. States have been asked to start making arrangements to deal with any Covid-19 vaccine-related side-effects as one of the measures towards safe vaccine delivery among masses Q. Will a Photo/ID be required at the time of registration? A. The Photo ID produced at the time of registration must be produced and verified at the time of vaccination. The total number of cases in India on Saturday crossed the 1-crore mark after the country recorded 25,152 new cases of Covid-19 and 347 deaths. The total number of active cases in the country stands at 3,08,751. Meanwhile, a total of 95,50,712 people have recovered from the disease and 1,45,136 lost their lives to the deadly virus.