Don’t Fear Vaccines, Overwhelming Evidence That They Drastically Reduce Chances of COVID Infection

The tsunami of coronavirus infections is about to engulf the nation and the only way we can be saved from this disaster is by breaking the chain of transmission. There are two ways of doing this. One is strict implementation of COVID-appropriate behaviour that includes masking up, social distancing, handwashing and avoiding crowds, in addition to aggressive testing tracking and isolation of COVID-positive cases.

The second major tool that we have is mass vaccination, which the government has now opened up for everyone above the age of 18. The government’s move to allow vaccine manufacturers to sell directly to the state and private sector will certainly go a long way in enhancing the pace of the vaccination drive.

Unfortunately, even today, there is some vaccine hesitancy and there are many naysayers who only talk about the ill-effects of the vaccine. The overwhelming evidence, which has been established by the scientific community, is that vaccination, be it Covishield or Covaxin, drastically reduces the chances of COVID infection to as low as 0.03 per cent, with an even lower risk of serious infection/hospitalization, and hardly any mortality in this group.

Both these vaccines are considered quite safe and the side-effect profile is more than acceptable. Most of the side-effects are minor, like pain at the site of injection, muscle pain and occasional fever and headache.

There was concern over some reports of blood clots following the Covishield vaccination, but the incidence is extremely rare. Also, most regulatory authorities in India and elsewhere do not feel there is a direct link. The chances of developing a serious COVID infection and blood clots due to COVID are far higher than the risk of vaccination and hence people should not fear the vaccine.

My earnest request to every citizen is—please save yourself and the society from COVID-19 by getting yourself vaccinated as soon as you can.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.