Tika Utsav: Vaccination not meant for preventing infection but for preventing outcome of Infection

New Delhi: In an awareness webinar organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Importance of Tika Utsav- Covid Vaccination, Dr D C Katoch, Chief Medical Officer, CGHS, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India mentioned that the production of the vaccine should be augmented and more and more people should be covered for vaccination, adding that the manufacturing needs to scale up and distribution needs to happen at a fast pace.

Dr D C Katoch, while lauding the manufacturers, regulators and other officials who have played a pivotal role in the distribution of the vaccine across the world and country, mentioned that the vaccination is meant to prevent the outcome of the infection. He emphasized that along with the vaccination, people need to take ayurvedic medicines and supplements. People need to be made aware and educated about the AYUSH and Ayurveda medicines which can help to strengthen the immunity to prevent the spread of covid-19.

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Prof. N K Ganguly, Former Director General, Indian Medical Council of Research mentioned that vaccine doesn't give license to get unmasked, one needs to mask even if they have received the vaccine and one needs to follow social distancing. He opined that India has taken some measured decisions in vaccinating the population. India has become a vaccine hub and with the help of cold chain supply and manufacturing systems, it could supply the vaccine around the world at the same time within the country. He emphasized that now, the time has come that we need to increase the pace of immunization to control the surge of spread.

Dr. G C Khilnani, Chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine while sharing his observations about the second wave of covid-19, mentioned that we need different varieties of vaccines in India to fight this disease. We need to follow the Covid appropriate behavior and make changes in our lifestyle to fight covid-19. We need to depend on scientists for vaccine development and scientist can modify the vaccine according to the results. The solutions to mitigate the spread is the availability of the vaccine to younger people, mandating mask-wearing, and have a multi-pronged approach to combat this disease.

Prof. (Dr.) Arvind Kumar, Chairman, Centre for Chest Surgery & Director, Institute for Chest Surgery Medanta Hospital mentioned this virus has transformed our lifestyle and is spreading at a rapid rate in the citizens. There are no specific medicines like antibiotics that can cure this disease. Vaccines can help from preventing one from the disease or at least decrease the mortality rate which is our priority. The vaccines abolish the mortality from the disease; almost reduce the need for ventilators and abolishment of severe disease which leads to long term oxygen dependence, etc. He emphasized that Vaccine today is one of the strongest weapons that we have to control the spread of the covid-19. Pregnant women, lactating women, children under the age of 18 years, and anyone having any active illness should not take the vaccine for now. Other than that, every citizen needs to take vaccination and try to prevent the spread of the pandemic as much as possible.

Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in his presidential address deliberated the impact of the pandemic on humanity and society and the spike in the covid cases in its second wave.

Mr. Aggarwal mentioned that wearing masks and staying 6 feet apart from others help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus. Based on what has been proved about vaccines for other diseases, the COVID-19 vaccine is to keep you from getting seriously ill, even if you do get the virus. Getting vaccinated also may protect people around you — particularly those at greater risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The true value of the vaccine is more easily seen when we consider what would happen if the development of a vaccine had failed.

We at the PHD Chamber stand by with the vision of our Hon'ble Prime Minister to inoculate maximum eligible people with Covid Vaccine throughout the country and we are spreading the awareness across all the states through our members our State Chapters for the Tika Utsav said, Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal.

Dr. N. Subramanian, Chair, Health Committee, PHD Chamber discussed the importance of vaccination and immunization to combat the spread of any deadly disease spreading around the world. He lauded the organizations that manufactured so many vaccines for covid-19. We need to be reactive, proactive, use prevention, and vaccinate to safeguard ourselves from the effect of the disease.

Prof. Harvinder Popli, Co-Chair, Health Committee, PHD Chamber while proposing a formal vote of thanks to all the delegates and participants mentioned that there is a need to educate people about the importance of vaccination in case of covid-19 and being transparent about the development of the vaccine along with the prevalence of potential adverse events but at the same time advocating its necessity for the society. Educating people helps to build trust in the decision to offer vaccinations, without which, the world will not be able to overcome the pandemic and return to 'normal life.

The webinar was moderated by Mr. Vivek Seigell, Assistant Secretary-General, PHD Chamber, and was attended by Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary-General, PHD Chamber along with many industry stalwarts around the country.

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