Medical official clarifies on coronavirus vaccine

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 25 (EMN): A state medical official on Sunday clarified that Covid-19 vaccines required passing certain levels before being administered to the people.

He said this while speaking to Eastern Mirror, close on the heels of allegations made by some citizens in the form of a protest recently, wherein it was claimed that Covid-19 vaccine jabs were being injected into the body without conducting enough safety trials and tests. 

The doctor, who wished to not to be named, asserted that Covishield vaccine, which is being administered by the state government to the people, had already passed phase three trials.  

He added that Covaxin was only permitted for emergency use between January and February. However, some doctors across the country had refused to use Covaxin, which had not passed the phase three trial in January and February.

On the allegation that the Covishied vaccine, which was rolled out in the month of January in the state, should expire after six months, the doctor stated that vaccines were being sent to the state in batches according to the demand and that ‘no question of expiry arises’. 

He stated that instead, there was a shortage of vaccines initially while the state had been availing the products according to its demand.

“In fact, there was a shortage of manufacturing vaccines; and as soon as these vaccines were manufactured, they were being delivered to the states. So, there was no chance that there was a huge stock of vaccines in the month of January which was not possible”, he said.

“If at all, there were vaccines from January till July, why were there shortages,” he asked, affirming that there are no questions of expiry. Vaccines are being manufactured on a daily basis and manufacturers are trying to keep up with the demand,” he reiterated.

He continued that there was no mass production of the vaccine in January which is still being used now. “That is not the situation,” he said.

However, appeals have been made to the state government from many quarters not to implement mandatory vaccination to government employees or any section of the society as forced vaccination on people would be a violation of human rights.

 Meanwhile, on the allegation that wearing a mask all the time is unhealthy and that healthy people should not wear it, the doctor clarified that wearing a mask will protect oneself from contracting Covid-19 infection.

“Wearing a mask protects yourself even if you are healthy,” he said, stating that wearing of the protective cloth is made mandatory now.

On the demand that restriction of public movement should be lifted, the medical official stated that non-essential movements were restricted to prevent Covid-19 transmission. He informed that Covid test certificates were also required to be produced while travelling.