Delhi: First to get vaccinated volunteered as colleagues were scared
(Sourced from PTI)
Manish Kumar, a 34-year-old machine operator at AIIMS, became the first person in Delhi to get the COVID-19 vaccine. He had himself asked hospital authorities to vaccinate him first as his colleagues chosen for the exercise were scared. Kumar, whose mother Laxmi Rani also works at the hospital, said he was not nervous, had a good sleep, and was proud of getting the vaccine.
"Many of them were scared. So, I went to my seniors and said I should be given the vaccine first. I wanted to prove to my colleagues that there is no need to be scared," Kumar told PTI.
Kumar was administered the vaccine during the launch of the nationwide vaccination drive at AIIMS in the presence of Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Saturday. "I didn't know that I'm the first person to receive the vaccine. I had a good sleep last night, came to the hospital and talked to the staff who were to get the shot," he said.
A resident of Najafgarh, Kumar has been working at the hospital for the last eight years. He said his wife was very nervous as well. Laxmi Rani, Kumar's mother, said she was scared and kept praying for him. "It was to happen. The almighty gave him the chance to get the vaccine and the courage to face the fears," she added.
"It's been more than two hours and I feel proud and great. The fear of the vaccine is unwarranted. I have not noticed any reactions so far. There is no pain, troubled breathing, or difficulty in moving limbs," he said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India's COVID-19 vaccination drive and asserted that the made-in-India vaccines being rolled out will ensure a "decisive victory" for the country over the coronavirus pandemic. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also urged people not to believe in rumors and listen to experts who say COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
"I have interacted with those vaccinated. No one has any problem. All are happy that they will get rid of coronavirus," the Chief Minister said at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital where he inspected the vaccination drive.
The vaccination exercise was conducted at 81 sites across all 11 districts in Delhi. It includes six central government hospitals: AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, Kalawati Saran Children Hospital, and two ESI hospitals. Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 295 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, the lowest in more than eight months, taking the tally to 6,31,884. The death toll mounted to 10,732 with 10 new fatalities.
Shaukat Ali, Kumar's colleague and a sanitation worker at AIIMS, said he was very scared before he got the shot. "I have undergone three surgeries for kidney stones. So, I was obviously scared, but Manish gave me confidence. I am not worried now," he said.
