Explained: All you want to know about COVID vaccines

With the muchawaited vaccination against COVID19 starting in just a day midday on Thursday spoke to a member of the statersquos COVID19 task force to bring to you clarity on the programme and answers to your numerous questions Dr Shashank Joshi an endocrinologist explains who will be the first to get the shots and if diabetes and hypertension are counted as comorbidities He also assured that the vaccines are safe although there are still apprehensions over their safetyDR Joshi the dean of the Indian College of Physicians Mumbai said the first step will be the inoculation of the healthcare professionals and that the common man without any comorbidities will have to wait Excerpts belowHow do I know itrsquos my turn to get the COVID19 shotRight now healthcare professionals are the priority so the local authorities will send an SMS on their registered mobile number a day in advanceHow and when do I register for the vaccineI am not aware of this as it is completely the decision of the central government The first phase is for the healthcare workers followed by people aged 50 and above and people with comorbidities Only then a decision will be taken for common citizens The prime minister had said once 65 per cent of the people with comorbidities and frontline warriors and health workers are vaccinated the Centre will reconvene and as per the effectiveness of the first lot further steps will be decidedI have diabetes and hypertension Am I comorbidYes absolutely Hypertension low blood pressure diabetes are comorbidities and thus people with these conditions are ones who need the vaccination the most and vaccines will save their livesI am a cancer survivor Is the vaccine safe for meThat will have to be decided in coordination with their oncologists Still it is definitely safe for the cancer survivors however we donrsquot know yet if they develop antibodies or notI am undergoing renalheartcancer treatment should I be taking the vaccineOf course yes People with these diseases also fall under the vulnerable group and people with heart issues have tenfold higher risk of death due to COVID19 than you and me It is safe for them to take the vaccineDr Shashank JoshiHow safe are these vaccinesThey are very safe and there are no two ways about it but the only question is about its effectiveness which we will closely monitorWhatrsquos the difference between Covishield and CovaxinThese are two different platforms while the Covaxin is an inactivated virus where the virus is completely killed whereas Covishield is a vectorbased spike proteinmodulated platform From the production point of view Covaxin is difficult to makeWhich of the two vaccines is betterBoth are equally safe and both have similar effectsDo I have the choice to choose the brand of vaccineNo you do not have the choice to choose the brand currently as the central government doesnrsquot give the option to choose in the current phaseIs it compulsory to take the vaccineNo it is voluntary One cannot choose but can definitely refuseWhat documents do I need to carry to a vaccination centreAn Aadhaar card will be necessary Also citizens with comorbidities will get directions in terms of required documents They may have to upload or carry a doctorrsquos certificate mentioning their illnessIs it safe for my children to take the vaccineThis question doesnrsquot arise as they do not fall under the category of the health workers or frontline workers Moreover COVID19 in children is very rare and even if they get it doesnrsquot cause any mortality The whole idea of the vaccination drive is to save lives and prevent severe COVID19Should someone recovering from COVID19 take the vaccineNo it is not advisable to take a vaccine immediately for at least first four to six weeks Later they may take itWill I be expected to pay for the vaccineIt will be free for the current group of people There is no commercial sale of the vaccinesHow long should one wait to know if they have any adverse effectsAn individual will receive two doses thus it will take at least 45 days for the immunity to set in The immediate reaction like flulike illness or pain at the injection site is possible within half an hour so people will be asked to wait at the centre after taking the shotHow will such adverse effects be monitoredPeople will be monitored via the CoWin app It is a vigilance app that they need to have for a year at least They can upload the update on the app or can also visit the nearest hospital The only problem is if there is any illness people might link it to the vaccine However as the first set of people receiving the shot are health workers they may know to distinguish and we would knowYour message to peopleWholeheartedly participate in the vaccination drive And even after taking the shot continue to wear a mask and take other precautions for one more year as the vaccine wonrsquot protect you from contracting the virus It will only prevent deathly effects or severe infectionWill you be taking the vaccineYes of course I do not mind taking either of the vaccines