Day 1 in Secunderabad Cantt: 71 take the shot

SECUNDERABAD: The first phase of vaccination started in the Secunderabad Cantonment area, on Tuesday, across three designated centres. Officials of the health department said that 71 of 163 registered frontline workers were administered the vaccine dose at the Bowenpally Government High School in New Bowenpally, Picket and Trimulgherry (Cantonment Board’s own) dispensaries. Incidentally, most Covid-19 cases from this belt have been reported from these three areas in the Cantonment.
Lab technician, B Sugnana Raju, working at the Picket dispensary, was the first one to take the jab.He has conducted 30,000 to 40,000 swab tests since the pandemic broke. “It didn’t feel like I was taking a vaccine dose; it is just like a normal injection. I didn’t face any side effects either,” the 51-year-old told TOI.

None of the 71 frontline workers who took the dose, complained of any major side effects, confirmed deputy DMHO, Dr H H Rajkumari. “The first phase of the vaccination programme went off peacefully. While a health worker, Mangamma, complained of slight giddiness after 10 minutes of being vaccinated, she quickly recovered,” she said. “We also appealed to them to be alert and immediately report back in case they show signs of any problem,” Dr Rajkumari said.
While 41 front-line warriors took the vaccine at the Trimulgherry dispensary the count stood at 18 at the Bowenpally Government High School — all working at the Bowenpally Upper Primary Health Centre. At the Picket dispensary, 12 health staff took the vaccine.