Tag: Immunisation Programme

Counsellor at A Community Health Centre in Moradabad

‘Vaccine’s Only Side-Effect Was Mild Fever Overnight’

By LokMarg

Saroj Kumar, 49, a family welfare counsellor and frontline worker amid Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh, is feeling relieved after receiving the vaccine on the first day of the immunisation drive

I work as family welfare counsellor at a Community Health Centre in Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) and I can proudly say that healthcare sector workers like us have been the backbone of India’s fight against coronavirus. We faced the virus day in and day out without fear, hours on end.

It was therefore a big relief when the government announced that health professionals and other frontline workers would be vaccinated on priority. As a healthcare professional I was among the people to be vaccinated on January 16, the first day of the immunisation drive.

We had been asked to register ourselves a day prior to the vaccination and post-registration, I was told to reach the designated health centre for the serum shot. I reached the centre at 12:30 pm where my temperature and oxygen levels were checked the first thing at the gate. Next, I was given hand sanitisers and waited for my turn.

ALSO READ: ‘We Gave Guard Of Honour To 1st Vaccinated Lot’

Once I was administered the vaccine jab, which hardly took a minute, I was kept under observation for around half an hour at the centre. Two girls who were making a note of the entry and exit timings of the vaccine beneficiaries, also checked if any of the vaccinated person showed any discomfort or adverse reaction. We had been told that there could be mild side-effects.

Saroj Kumar (wearing a facemask and inset) took a selfie while waiting for the vaccine

My workplace (the very centre I was vaccinated at) is nearly 60 km from home. On the vaccination day, I took the regular bus and faced no discomfort per se on the way. However, I ran mild fever after reaching home around evening. The fever lasted overnight and in the morning my body temperature returned to normal. I am feeling fit as a fiddle now.

During the pandemic when public transport wasn’t available, reaching my workplace was tough. So I had requested to be temporarily allowed to work at a health centre nearer home. The authorities were considerate and I was assigned work at the Chief Medical Office’s office closer home.

My new role was to take calls at the Help Centre. Since it was the beginning of the pandemic, we had to field hundreds of calls each day. So, I can tell you there was much anxiety among people and patients about both the pandemic and its prospective treatment or vaccine.

ALSO READ: A Vaccine Of Hope

Now, I have been working with Covid-positive patients who are isolating at home. Every morning, a doctor, I visit these patients in our district and administer medicine to them as well as monitor their condition. Covid is contagious, but for most people, not deadly. Yet, people are scared as it has caused so many deaths.

I am glad that people like us will now feel completely free and safe after the twin vaccination shots, since we meet many Covid positive patients every day. I am not scared of the virus, but I do have a family of four to take care of. The vaccination process has brought me a lot of mental relief. Given how successful our polio vaccination programme was in the past, across the length and breadth of our country, I am sure we will win the fight against Covid too.

As Told To Yogmaya Singh

First Logistics Company Assigned to Transport Covid-19 Vaccines

‘We Moved 1.1 Cr Vaccine Doses In A Day, It Feels Great’

By LokMarg

Kunal Subhash Agarwal, co-founder of Kool-ex, the first logistics company assigned to transport Covid-19 vaccines, talks about the proud consignment and the challenges it entails

In the last 30 hours, we have transported 1.1 crore Covid-19 vaccine vials to their destinations. The last three days, since we were assigned the task of transporting the vaccines, have been super busy. But it feels great to be a vital cog in the national vaccination machine.

We have been in business as a pharma distribution company for a decade or so and transporting similar cargo across the country. So, while in terms of work this is business as usual, several facts make this moment unique.

First, we have not seen a pandemic of this volume in our lifetime. India has been one of the worst hit countries but also one of the first few to fight back with an indigenous immunization programme. The scale and geographical diversity of our country makes it even more challenging and special. Therefore as a service to the nation, to our countrymen, this is both an emotional and proud moment for us at Kool-ex.

Today, when the first batch of trucks was getting flagged off, we did a small ceremony of sorts to cherish it as a memory in future. The national Tricolour was placed on the trucks and having secured the permission from the police to film the event, we shot some videos to share it on social media too.

Kunal Subhash Agarwal (extreme left) has given Kool-ex fleet (right) a new ‘Make in India’ look

ALSO READ: A Vaccine Of Hope

Here, I would like people to know how a pharma distribution company operates in contrast to a non-pharma cargo service. First, we are part of a cold chain logistics, which essentially means moving goods in a temperature-controlled set-up, unlike carriers in the movers & packers category. Then in the cold chain, there are two segments: pharma and non-pharma. The non-pharma segment comprises supplies such as dairy products, perishable food items, yeast, even blood.

The pharma segment is mainly restricted to medicines or vaccines that also require a temperature-module during transportation. As it involves saving lives, the quality-control measurement in the pharma supply are much more stringent than other cold chain carriers, even though the vehicles used are similar.

For example, all our trucks are fitted with sensors that tell you live temperature across India. We have a monitoring cell that screens each and every truck, their temperature and movements through GPS devices. We also have door-open sensors linked to the monitoring unit, so that we know if a door has been opened, and for how long. So basically, it is a tech-enabled fleet.

ALSO READ: ‘Proud To Be A Part Of Vaccination Process’

To maintain such operations is not an easy task. A pharmaceutical company will never work with a company that is dealing with anything non-pharma for the risk of contamination. So even if someone has used a truck for food and it comes in for loading it will get rejected.

Incidentally, I have realised that keeping such strictly-monitored operations is an easier task than managing the media in our country. Ever since the news hounds got the wind of our work, we were flooded with calls from all corners. And I knew not how to manage their queries.

As told to Mamta Sharma

‘Proud To Be A Part Of Vaccination Programme’

By LokMarg

Savita Paliwal, 52, a senior vaccinator in Moradabad (UP), is happy to see India among the first few countries to launch vaccination programme early. She explains how the monumental process will unfold

I have been in the medical profession for nearly three decades now and have been involved with quite a few vaccination and immunisation programmes. As a government employee at the Community Health Centre at Thakurdwara, Moradabad, I have been actively involved in building a healthy society. However, this time it is quite different.

Dealing with the Covid-19 is something that we have never seen before in our entire career. Healthcare professionals have been on their toes for nearly a year now. And with new strains coming up at different parts of the world, the challenge is only getting tougher.

It was therefore both a moment of relief and pride when we were informed that India is one of the first few countries to start vaccination programme. We have compiled the beneficiary list in our zone and have had two dry runs, on January 5 and 8.

We have been divided into two teams of three members each. Both teams have one vaccinator, one helper and a data expert (someone who keeps track of the beneficiaries who get vaccination). Healthcare professionals, especially the pharmacists and paramedical staff will be given the vaccine on priority basis.

ALSO READ: A Vaccine Of Hope

The phase 1 of the programme begins on January 16. Each team is supposed to vaccinate 25 people in a day, so in our locality you can say that the Community Health Centre employees will be vaccinating around 50 people daily. The process will be spread across five rooms with standard operating procedure in place like regular sanitization, temperature screening etc.

Savita Paliwal (middle) with her colleagues at Moradabad community health centre

The DM (district magistrate) was very involved in how the dry runs were conducted and there was total cooperation from the Chief Minster’s office as well. I feel happy that we are all functioning as one smooth machinery.

Of course, many people are scared of taking vaccines but as someone with an extensive experience in this field I know how to soothe people. Asha workers are also involved in the vaccination programme, and spreading awareness about it.

Moradabad was declared a hotspot last year and I would say we expect most people to be co-operative. No query of the beneficiaries will be considered insignificant and we will take care to also inform them of the minor side-effects they might encounter after the vaccination.

ALSO READ: Nursing Our Healthcare System

I feel lucky to be a part of this monumental process. I have been keeping myself updated with all the news about vaccines developed in India as well as other countries and I would say so far we have handled the Covid-19 situation really well. But it is not over yet and the pandemic needs the cooperation of every single citizen of the country. I make it a point to carry extra masks in my bag and hand them free to anyone I see not wearing a mask.

I feel proud that India developed and mass-produce a vaccine in good time and now we aren’t dependent on any foreign country for the immunity programme. I wonder how the scientists who developed the vaccines must have raced against time to save as many lives as possible. I hope the process goes smoothly. We have managed and eradicated polio and now we are confident we shall put corona virus behind us too.