Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings, Doctor.
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
Greetings, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We have been hearing announcements on the radio and TV that a vaccine has been developed, and it is made in India. I heard about it, though I am not supposed to know much. It is here now, and it will be administered in stages—first to doctors, then to nurses, then to the police and others. How authentic is this? We are feeling a bit scared ourselves. Has a vaccine actually been developed?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
Well, Gurudev, the vaccine has indeed been developed. Like any other vaccine, it goes through several stages of trials—Phase 1, 2, 3, and 4. After the Phase 3 trials, it is generally considered ready for public use. Both the imported vaccines and the ones made in India have entered the market with DCGI clearance and all necessary permissions. Regarding safety profiles and data, we might not have all the data available yet, but from what we do have, the side effects and the immunity it is expected to build are quite promising. If you permit, I can share something personal—I have already taken the vaccine.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Oh, you have taken it? Wow.
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
Yes, I received it yesterday. There is a second dose to be taken after 28 days. It is an intramuscular vaccine, given in the arm. After the second dose, we will receive a certificate. They are expecting an efficacy rate of over 70%. While these are based on Phase 3 trial data, it is expected to be effective against the current strains. We will worry about future mutated strains when the time comes.
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
However, even after taking the vaccine, we must remain cautious. Taking the vaccine does not mean we stop wearing masks and go out freely. In a country with a population as large as ours, we must continue to follow social distancing, hand hygiene, and mask-wearing until we have more data and COVID is completely eradicated.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Tell me, Doctor, it seems like COVID has almost left our country, hasn't it?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
It hasn't exactly left. The infectivity and fatality rates have definitely decreased compared to before. Unlike what happened in some other countries, we are seeing a declining trend here. We hope it continues to decline and the infection rate drops significantly.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
So, can we expect that we will also have to take the vaccine in the coming days?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
The goal is to achieve "herd immunity" or collective immunity. For that, mass vaccination is necessary in India. Currently, they are vaccinating doctors and healthcare workers. It will happen in steps—first doctors, then healthcare workers, then the police, officials, pharmacists, and eventually, it will be for everyone. The government will decide the phase-wise plan.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Since you have taken it, did you experience any problems?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
After taking the vaccine, I experienced what many others have reported—a slight body ache or a feeling of malaise. I felt a bit of a chill last night, but nothing major.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Was there any mental pressure?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
It wasn't exactly mental pressure, but there is always a bit of fear when something new comes out without exhaustive data. However, the fact that we doctors are taking it should give people confidence. We haven't faced any significant issues so far.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That is good, very good. So, another dose after 28 days? This applies to everyone?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
Yes, it applies to everyone. They also ask if you have any established allergies. If someone has a history of allergies, they might be advised to wait or be observed more closely. We have to fill out a form mentioning our allergy and vaccination status.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Even if there is a chronic disease?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
It's more about allergic manifestations. If there are any, they ask you to mention them, and then they decide. They also keep people under observation for 48 hours. In our case, the injection took only a few seconds, and then we were kept in isolation for half an hour to monitor vitals like blood pressure and pulse. By God's grace, none of us had any issues except for some mild body ache or a slight fever.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You are the ones giving us courage, Doctor. Since you are taking it, it gives us confidence that it isn't harmful to the body. This is a great relief. Even if someone gets COVID after vaccination, the severity might be much less.
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
Exactly. The severity would be lower, and it would give us more time for treatment. Some might even be able to manage with home isolation. The government will eventually have a policy for mass vaccination. We don't know yet, but in the future, showing vaccination status might even be required for travel or interstate movement, similar to how we show a passport or an Aadhaar card.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You can't mention the names of the vaccines, right?
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
There are two vaccines currently available. Which one you get depends on the availability in that particular area. But the government is ensuring that everything—from storage and the cold chain to administration and follow-up—is done according to strict rules.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This really helps ease our fear. It gives us a lot of strength to know that there is a medicine available that can keep us safe and give us time for treatment.
Dr. Nilanjan Bhattacharjee:
Yes, Gurudev. Greetings.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings.