'Just the prick of a needle', Keralite doctor in UK on his COVID jab

'Just the prick of a needle', Keralite doctor in UK on his COVID jab
Dr Ajikumar Kavidasan receiving a shot of the anti-COVID vaccine in London

New Delhi: A Keralite doctor is among the recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine on the very first day it was launched for clinical use anywhere in the world.

Dr Ajikumar Kavidasan, who received a shot of the anti-COVID vaccine in London, endorsed it saying people should have no qualms about it.

"I had no physical problems even four days after taking the vaccine. I resumed my professional duties within half an hour of receiving it," Dr Ajikumar said while responding to a question about two healthcare workers developing serious allergies after being given the vaccine.

"There was slight pain at the injection spot for a while, but it did not last long," he said.

Dr Ajikumar is a pulmonologist and lecturer at the Croydon University Hospital in London. The hospital handles Covid cases too.

“During March-June, 525 COVID deaths were reported at our hospital. So we were vaccinated on the first day itself, as per the government's priority list,” he said.

“I was given the vaccine while I was on the job. I returned to work after taking the vaccine,” Dr Ajikumar addded.

More than 500 people have been vaccinated at the Croydon University Hospital alone. He said some people had some fever-related problems after taking the vaccine but that did not last long.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the UK has warned people with allergies to vaccines, medicines or any kind of food not to take the COVID vaccine, codenamed BNT162b2. It has been developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

"A typical vaccine research takes many years. Therefore, some among the medical fraternity were concerned about the COVID vaccine as it has been developed in such a short time. I decided to take the vaccine in the initial stage itself to give such doctors confidence," Dr Ajikumar, who is a native of Alappuzha, said.

As London has a well-equipped healthcare facility which can provide help to anyone who calls the helpline number in case of any difficulty, no one is worried about the immunisation drive, he said allaying any fears over side effects. 

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