‘No need to panic, get a shot’: First timers in Kashmir dispel Covid vaccination fears

Srinagar:  Dispelling fear, health workers who got vaccinated on Saturday urged people not to panic and come forward to take a shot whenever their turn comes.

“People were telling me it is dangerous to get vaccinated but despite all the fear and panic, I came here voluntarily. If we don’t get vaccinated ourselves, how will we tell the public to take the vaccine? There is no need to fear. We have made a beginning and all have to get vaccinated,” said Bashir Ahmad, a paramedic, after taking the Covid vaccine shot at SKIMS-Soura.

Around 4000 health workers got vaccinated today after the start of the much awaited Covid vaccination drive.

Tabasum Irshad, senior nursing officer at the SKIMS, said they took the vaccine to motivate others to get vaccinated amid the fear around the exercise.

“We have to motivate others. At the start of the pandemic, even our relatives would keep away from us – the health workers….but, we were on the frontline taking care of patients. We were waiting for this moment for a year…for the vaccine to come to get rid of the pandemic. We have taken the initiative and we hope others come forward without fear,” she said.

Director SKIMS, Soura Dr. AG Ahangar said the vaccine had been developed by an ‘intelligent workforce’ and he too got vaccinated to dispel apprehensions around it.

“For several viral infections, vaccine is still not there. This (Covid) vaccine has been developed by the intelligent workforce of the country while taking into consideration safety protocols. I presented myself for vaccination to alleviate the apprehensions,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir had recently received the first batch of 1,46,500 doses of Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, Pune. While 79,000 doses will be administered in Kashmir division, 67,500 jabs will be given in Jammu division.