World’s largest anti-COVID vaccination drive started

Call it nothing less than a revolution of the sorts,call it manifestation of the grand march towards self reliant India or Atma Nirbhar Bharat, call it a great initiative to win a decisive war against the frightening COVID-19 which had been on a rampage and call it the superb demonstration of the capabilities of Indian scientists; Saturday, January 16 – shall be recorded a day of great historical importance when India ushered in a massive vaccination drive across the country against the dreaded virus. Without mincing words, if the keen interest, regular follow-up and monitoring of the developments towards an early breakthrough in making a vaccine indigenously, taken throughout by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not talked about, it would be tantamount in not bringing to fore the force, inspiration and the zeal to finding an effective antidote against the corona virus by India, quite right in time rather even ahead of most of the countries in the world. We, verily shall record our achievement as a country of determination and high scientific temperament in the world history in having made it and to go ahead with massive vaccination drive. Why not, there are many countries in the world, to be precise nearly 100 , with less than 3 crore population while India is poised to vaccinate 3 crore people in the first phase of vaccination and this is really vindication of the Indian resolve to find and achieve opportunities of great human benefit and welfare even amidst the dark clouds of corona virus which were hovering over us menacingly. Since almost every rose has a thorn or two with it, likewise rumour mills and grapevines which were watched even before the launch of the massive drive in the country and during the process of inoculation drive too, such rumour mongering and misinformation could not be ruled out but as the PM, while inaugurating virtually the vaccination drive, advised the countrymen to beware of this scenario while reassuring that emergency use authorisation to two made in India vaccines only after scientists were convinced of f both their safety and effectiveness, needs to be underlined with all seriousness. The ancient culture of Indian ways of wishing everyone to be happy and healthy is the cherished principle and motivating factor behind world’s largest vaccination programme. Health workers and frontline COVID warriors comprise the first phase of vaccination drive to cover 3 crore recipients. Second phase was all set to bring three times as many or 30 crore under the vaccination drive, no small target to achieve and fulfil and no mean goal to achieve either. The organising process of the first phase of vaccination through as many as 3006 sites with a minimum of 100 to get vaccinated and in all nearly 5 lakh, again goes to the credit of the concerned personnel in the Health and Family Welfare Department with support from allied Government agencies including the police personnel. It is worth noting that among the health workers who made India proud by dint of their dedicated and committed services towards treating the virus infected people in hundreds of thousands across the country, recorded yet another demonstration of volunteering to be among the first ones in getting vaccinated to set at rest any speculations and apprehensions. Director of All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi and Director of Apollo Hospital were the first early ones to receive the jab, not to speak of other top Doctors and Specialists across the country. Saturday’s vaccine roll out was going to reinforce the faith more deep rooted in “Made in India” products including the anti COVID-19 vaccines. Apart from being more effective and safe, indigenous vaccines were much feasible on comparative basis for transportation and storage unlike other vaccines made in some few countries. A note of caution , however, should not be overlooked in that immunity from the virus was possible only after getting two doses of the vaccine and it would be a step towards extra safety to wear masks and maintaining of social distancing as extra care and a bit of caution all in our interests. In the UT of Jammu and Kashmir like other centres in the country, saw the vaccination drive which went smoothly both at Jammu as well as in Srinagar. Out of the doses received in phase one146500, Jammu division has 76500 doses. As to who would record one’s name as the first recipient, it was sanitation supervisor Raju of Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu and therefore, got his name recorded in the history of Jammu and Kashmir as the ”first person vaccinated”. He received the jab in presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Likewise, in Srinagar, Dr. A. G. Ahangar the Director of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura Srinagar received the first shot in the centre while 4000 health workers were expected to get the first shot. It is to be admitted that with twin approach to fight the virus – one by the health workers, say COVID warriors and two- the public taking due precautions and maintaining the safety protocol, both the number of infected persons as well fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir could be managed to be kept to the minimum. It is to be noted that the entire world is with focussed eyes on how we, in this country, emerge successful in such a gigantic task which calls for increased co-operation between states and the centre and between states themselves and in nipping in the bud any sort of mischief or misinformation campaign against sounding of the bugle of ”beginning of the end of COVID -19 pandemic” by Indians