Sanitation worker Manish Kumar became the first person to get vaccinated against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in India, which rolled out the world’s largest vaccination drive on Saturday with the clear message that sanitation workers are at par with clinicians and health care workers in the country’s fight against the pandemic disease.
Kumar is part of the sanitation team at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, which is one of Asia’s busiest hospitals, and got his shot at the vaccination site in his workplace amid cheers.
"When I was told I’m a beneficiary, I requested my supervisor to make me the first recipient because I wanted to dispel fears around vaccination. I did not hesitate to get vaccinated, there is no reason for people to be afraid,” said Kumar, who said he had no immediate adverse events following immunization.
He was given company by AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria and NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul, who also received COVID-19 shots in their arms after Kumar. Both Dr Guleria and Dr Paul are clinicians who have trained at AIIMS Delhi.
AIIMS Delhi is one of the 3,006 vaccination sites across all states and UTs in India, where around 300 million priority groups are scheduled to get vaccinated over the next six months.
Senior clinicians at several leading Delhi hospitals, including the medical superintendent of Ram Manohar Manohar Lohia Hospital Dr A. K. Rana, received a vaccine shot to build confidence in the two indigenously produced vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin – that have emergency use authorization in India.
Sister Biji Tomy, 48, received her vaccine shot at 11:42 am at Lok Nayak Hospital under the Delhi state vaccination drive.
Two doses of the vaccines will be given to 10 million health and frontline workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive against the pandemic disease.