New Delhi, December 15: Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health on Tuesday said that adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccine cannot be ruled out, adding that once the immunisation against the coronavirus begins all the states and union territories should prepare for such event. "So, we can't deny chances of an adverse event when COVID-19 vaccination begins. The countries where immunisation has already begun, especially in the UK, adverse events took place on the very first day. So, it is essential that states and UTs prepare for this too," said Bhushan.   COVID-19 Vaccination in India Guidelines: 30 Crore Indian Population to Get Vaccinated in Phase One of Coronavirus Vaccination.

He added that whenever an universal immunisation progarmme is undertaken certain side effects are observed especially in children and pregnant women. "Adverse events following immunisation is a critical issue. When we undertake a universal immunisation program, which has been done for decades, then some adverse effects are seen in children & pregnant women after vaccination," said the Health Secretary.  Government Never Spoke About Vaccinating Entire Country, Says Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry.

The number of COVID-19 cases in India per million population continues to remain among the lowest in the world. "The number of cases in India is 7178 per million population, the global average is 9000," he said. Bhushan informed that various medical equipment required to deal with COVID-19 cases have been given to the state governments.

"29000 cold chain points, 240 walk-in coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41000 deep freezers & 300 solar refrigerators will be used. All these equipment have already reached state governments," he said.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2020 05:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).