New Delhi : More than 224,300 people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease so far, out of which only 447 reported adverse effects and only three had to be admitted to hospitals, the Union health ministry said on the second day of the nationwide vaccination drive on Sunday. The health ministry said 17,072 people received the vaccine on Day 2 of the vaccination drive in six states.
“A total of 447 adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) reported so far, of which only three cases required hospitalisation,” Manohar Agnani, a senior health ministry official, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Agnani said that most of the adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), which were reported, were minor cases such as fever, headache and nausea.
“Today being Sunday, only six states conducted vaccination drive and in 553 sessions a total of 17,072 beneficiaries were vaccinated,” he said while addressing a press briefing. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu carried out the vaccination drive on the second day, he added.
The health ministry also lauded vaccinators for ensuring that India inoculated more people compared to other countries on the first day of its vaccination. It said India has the highest number of people vaccinated on the first day of the Covid-19 vaccination drive with close to 225,000 vaccinations.
The Delhi government had said on Saturday that 52 people who had been administered the Covid-19 vaccine had reported adverse event post-inoculation. Out of these 52, one case was deemed serious by doctors. The other 51 beneficiaries were discharged after they recovered.
Telangana also reported 11 cases of adverse events on the first day of the vaccination drive and West Bengal reported 14 such cases on the same day.
India on Saturday launched the world’s largest vaccination campaign in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus and aims to vaccinate 30 million frontline workers in the first phase of the programme.