Virtual Series of National Talks : Covid-19 Vaccination
Date : 25th May 2021 - Fit India Club, Manipur University

As a third lecture of the Virtual Series of National Talks organized by Fit India Campaign Committee and Fit India Club, Manipur University as a part of Fit India Movement, Dr. T. Manihar Singh, State Immunization Officer, Directorate of Family Welfare Service, Govt. of Manipur has delivered a talk on “Covid-19 Vaccination”.

The programme has been moderated by Prof. Jibon Kumar Sharma, Director, MIMS, M.U. and co-moderated by Dr. Rajkumar Suresh Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Adult Continuing Education and Extension, M.U. Dr. Laishram Santosh Singh, convener of the programme, welcomed all the panelists and participants of the third lecture of the Virtual Series of National Talks. Dr. Rajkumar Suresh Singh, Co-moderator, introduced the speaker, Dr. Tongbram Manihar Singh to the participants.

Dr. T. Manihar Singh has started the lecture with a brief sharing on the how the Covid-19 disease been originated and its present situation and its impact on the economy, social and health systems in the country.

As there is no exact medicine for its treatment at present, it’s the time to focus on preventive measures. He explained when and how the vaccines for covid-19 has been produced and how the vaccination has started in India and Manipur along with different timeline for vaccinating different categories of people in the country and state like health workers, frontline workers, citizens of India above 60 years of age, persons above 45 years of age with co-morbidities, persons above 45 years of age, and later on the persons in the age group of 18 to 44 years.

He also highlighted the planning, preparations and training programmes conducted in order start the vaccination in the state and how it keeps on expanding. He has also explained details about the 3 vaccines – Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V – presently available in the India.

Regarding vaccination of Covid vaccine, he mentioned that if any person recovered from covid-19 infection, they should get vaccinated after 3 months of recovery. Any person recovered from any sickness after getting ICU Ventilator support, they should wait for 4-8 weeks for getting Covid-19 vaccination. Any person if no severe case of uncontrolled high sugar (diabetes), no severe case of Asthma or person having no history of allergies in any vaccination before should go for Covid-19 vaccination. Even lactating mother (breastfeeding mother) can go for Covid-19 vaccination according to latest studies.

But as of now, pregnant women should not get vaccinated as there are no studies done on the vaccines side effects on them. He also mentioned that either after 14 days of 1st or 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccination, one can donate blood. He has requested people to continue following Covid-19 guidelines even after taking vaccine as there is no history of 100 per cent protection from any disease by vaccinating against them.

Dr. T. Manihar Singh, on his lecture, has stressed that as fast as possible all the people should get vaccinated so that a hard immunity can be developed against the virus. Hard immunity can be developed either by making all the people get sick with Covid-19 or by getting vaccinated all the people. We should increase the speed of vaccination to achieve hard immunity against this fast mutating virus. It is also people’s responsibility now, so let us not think government to handle it alone.

Answering the questions, Dr. T. Manihar Singh said that we have shortage of vaccines for 18-44 age groups as it is being purchased separately by the state government from the Serum Institute of India. No vaccines are being supplied adequately though money has been paid along with orders. Maximum care should be taken in order to avoid wastage of vaccine. In case booked beneficiaries did not turn up for vaccination, on the spot registration may be permitted to avoid the wastage of vaccine.

Answering a question, he said that there is no exact report of how long protection can be availed after vaccination, but some studies showed that around 8 months’ protection are there after vaccination. He mentioned about the COVID – 19 vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS CoV 2), the virus causing COVID 19 and produce protection against the Corona virus, as a result of developing an immune response.

Further, he request to all the participants for vaccination and obey the guideline discipline of wearing masks, cleaning hands frequently and social distancing (staying 6 feet) is only tools to fight the virus in future.

The third Virtual Series of National Talks has been concluded with the speaker answering satisfactorily the questions put up by the participants and thanking Dr. Tongbram Manihar Singh for sharing his wonderful knowledge and expertise on the topic by the Moderator and Convenor. Convenor also requested all the participants to take part in the next session to be held on 31st May, 2021 at 11 Am., on the topic “COVID – 19: Science of Variants, Vaccine, Testing and their management”.

(Dr. L. Santosh Singh)
Convenor
Fit India Campaign Committee
&
Fit India Club
Manipur University
(A Central University)
Canchipur, Imphal – 795003