#COVID19Vaccine #India

The vaccination drive for COVID19 will soon begin in India.

Things to know:

Why get vaccinated?
Misconceptions
Vaccines In India
Vaccine Priority
Process of Vaccination
Co-WIN website/app
Side-effects/AEFI
Communication

1/n

Why Get Vaccinated?

>Prevention of COVID19 infection.
>Prevention of the long term health risks of COVID19 infection.
>92 million cases and 1.9 million deaths due to COVID by now.
>Vaccine + Masks and Distancing are essential to curb the pandemic.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html

2/n

Misconceptions

>Vaccines will NOT cause infection.

>You cannot compare the 98-99% recovery rate with 95% vaccine efficacy. If you still want to - understand this: Vaccine reduces chances of mortality from 1% to 0.05%.

>Vaccines will NOT cause any mutations in your body.

3/n

>Vaccine Hesitancy needs to be addressed.

>It can stem from lack of correct information/understanding, mistrust, apprehension of side effects, propaganda by anti-vaxxers, etc.

Here's what the @MoHFW_INDIA has to say:

4/n

Vaccines in India

This is a list of all the vaccines undergoing development or trials in India as of 28th December 2020.

As of today, 2 of these vaccines have been approved.*

5/n

Vaccines in India

>APPROVED

1. COVISHIELD by Serum Institute of India/AstraZeneca

2. COVAXIN* by Bharat Biotech/ICMR

*approval in "Clinical Trial Mode" based on Phase 1/2 data. Phase 3 trials ongoing.

6/n

>SII has uploaded the detailed Package Insert and Fact Sheet on their website that contains all the information you need to know about COVISHIELD.

You can access those here:

Package Insert
https://www.seruminstitute.com/pdf/covishield_ChAdOx1_nCoV19_corona_virus_vaccine_insert.pdf

Fact Sheet
https://www.seruminstitute.com/pdf/covishield_fact_sheet.pdf

7/n

Vaccine Priority

>The MoHFW has laid out a priority list for the 1st phase of vaccinations that includes:

1. Healthcare workers
2. Frontline workers
3. Elderly population >50 yrs of age and those <50 yrs of age with comorbidities.

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/COVID19VaccineOG111Chapter16.pdf
8/n

Guidance and instructions for the next phase will be announced in due course by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).

Meanwhile, here's an information sheet from the MoHFW for those <50 yrs of age.

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Covid19CommunicationStrategy2020.pdf

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Process of Vaccination

Steps:

1. Registration* of the beneficiary on the Co-WIN app.
2. Verification of photo ID proof at the vaccination site with that uploaded on the app.
3. Vaccination.
4. 30 mins observation

*Registration is mandatory for getting vaccinated.

10/n

Co-WIN website/app

>Co-WIN is an extension of the existing electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (e-VIN) - made specifically for COVID vaccination.

>It has 2 modules - Website and App.

>The app is under development and will soon be available for download.

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FEATURES:

While Co-WIN has extensive functionalities for the authorities, it has few important uses for the beneficiaries:

> Info about vaccination
> Self-registration for vaccination
> Track status of vaccination
> Report AEFI

12/n

Side effects/AEFI

Probably the single largest concern responsible for Vaccine Hesitancy is the fear/apprehension of Side Effects or Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI).

13/n

What should you expect?

>Mild side effects are common and expected to occur and they are self-resolving. You need not worry about those.

>Adverse events like allergic reactions/anaphylaxis are much rare. They DO NOT occur in all recipients.

14/n

AEFI Reporting

> You will be observed for 30 mins after vaccination to look for and manage any immediate severe reactions like anaphylaxis.

>In the following days, you must report any other symptoms/discomfort to the authorities and get investigated.

15/n

AEFI Investigation

>AEFI are investigated and then assessed as per the WHO guidelines to determine the cause.

>It is important to understand whether it is vaccine-related or not.

>Many times, AEFI can occur due to other reasons as well, as shown in the image.

16/n

Communication

>Essential to spread correct and reliable information about vaccines.

>Also to counter misinformation spread by fake experts or anti-vaxxers.

Here is an excellent handbook developed by Prof @STWorg and Prof @adamhfinn.

https://hackmd.io/@scibehC19vax/home

17/n

To Conclude:

>Vaccination will shortly begin in India.
>Registration on Co-WIN is mandatory.
>Vaccines are safe - with common, mild side effects.
>Adverse events, if any - must be reported.
>Guard against misinformation and educate others with correct, reliable info.

18/18

@pash22 @amitsurg @DrDeepakKrishn1 @DNeurosx @Shivamda @Dextrocardiac1 @anilbhatortho @dr_dsandeep @IsoMedSTU2 @ThinkActTank @nuts2406 @bipolar_biped @HShewade @GorwayGlobal