Covid vaccination: No severe AEFI cases reported in NE states

Guwahati/ Agartala, Jan. 22 (IANS): No serious or severe cases of Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) have reported from any of the eight northeastern states since the Covid-19 vaccination drive started on January 16, officials said.

A senior official of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Assam told IANS that only 15 very minor cases of AEFI were reported till Thursday evening out of the total of 10,676 beneficiaries who have been vaccinated since January 16.

“Through 229 sessions, Covid-19 vaccines were administered to 10,676 beneficiaries in 65 session sites in 33 districts across Assam,” the official said.

Assam received both Covishield and Covaxin, two vaccines which have been cleared for emergency use by the authorities.

According to the NHM official, out of the 65 session sites, Covishield was administered in 57 sites while Covaxin was given in the remaining eight session sites.

Additional Superintendent of the Kalapahar Covid Care Hospital in Guwahati, Raktim Pratim Tamuli Phukan, said: “I took the vaccine at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), and after that I have been continuing my regular duty at the hospital without any problems. The vaccine has given me more reasons to smile and more enthusiasm to work for the Covid-19 infected people in Assam.”

Physician Ulupi Phukan, Superintendent of the Sonapur District Hospital, also shared her happy experience after being vaccinated.

“No serious AEFI has been observed since the Covid vaccination drive started at the Sonapur District Hospital. I can assure that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe as I have also taken it and I am not facing any difficulties,” she said.

Mamoni Das, a nurse at Tezpur’s Times Hospital, also sounded cheerful as the vaccination drive started across the country.

“The government is providing such a wonderful opportunity to the healthcare workers of Assam. There’s nothing to be fearful of as I have also taken the vaccine and I am feeling healthy and fine,” Das said.

Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal, Director, National Health Mission in Tripura, said that out of the targeted 15,956 beneficiaries, vaccines have been administered to 9,807 persons, registering 61.5 per cent vaccination.

“No AEFI has been reported yet. Three minor cases surfaced on Wednesday, but they are not related to vaccination as per the expert committee of Agartala Governemnt Medical College. In all, 56,500 doses of Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield) have been supplied by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India,” Jaiswal, a physician turned IAS officer, told IANS.

Health officials in other northeastern states said that no severe case of AEFI has been reported yet in Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the officials, some minor cases of fever have been reported after vaccination in few of the states which are absolutely normal and expected.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is the manufacturer of India’s first indigenous vaccine for Covid-19 – Covaxin – while Covishield has been developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in Pune.