A total of 464 doctors and medical personnel were vaccinated in Dhanbad on Monday. Health personnel from different hospitals including 56 at Central Hospital Dhanbad, 80 in Patliputra Nursing Home, 67 at Asharfi Hospital, 80 at Jalan Hospital, 93 at Sadar Hospital Dhanbad and 20 at Sahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) were vaccinated.

Meanwhile, at Sahid Nirmal Mahto Memorial Medical College and Hospital where Covaxin administration started from Monday, the response was slightly timid as only 20 doctors and medical personnel took the vaccine.

While Covishield vaccination is going on at all centres like Patliputra Nursing Home, Central Hospital, Asharfi Hospital, Jalan Memorial Hospital, Sadar Hospital and Railway Hospital, SNMMCH is the only hospital where the administration Covaxin has started from Monday.

Talking to The Telegraph Online, Dr Rajkishore Verma co-nodal officer of Covid vaccination at SNMMCH said, “The Covaxin administration which began at our hospital from Monday will continue till February 6 and though we have a target of 100 vaccination per day, only 20 persons turned for vaccination out of which my daughter-in-law Kislaya Verma, a senior resident, took the first Covaxin at the hospital today.”

“We carried out awareness among the doctors about Covaxin benefits. The efficacy of Covaxin is more than Covishield. The Covishield efficacy is around 60 per cent and Covaxin is 75 per cent. There was no reaction on Dr Kislaya Verma who took the vaccination along with the 19 other doctors and medical staff on Monday,” said Verma.

“We appeal to more doctors and medical staff to come forward to take Covaxin and we expect that the number will increase from tomorrow,” further said Verma and added that Dr Kislaya Verma’s mother who is a doctor at Patna Medical College and Hospital took Covaxin last month in Patna and there are no side effects till now.