Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa greets Nagarathna, a Group-D health worker, who became the first person in Karnataka to receive the Covid-19 vaccine shot at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday. State Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan were also present | EXPRESS HUBBALLI  SUNDAY  JANUARY 17, 2021  `8.00  PAGES 26  CITY EDITION CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI TWO LAKH HEALTH WORKERS GET VACCINE ON DAY ONE NEW DELHI MYSURU HYDERABAD KOCHI BHUBANESWAR VIZAG (From left) AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria getting the first dose of Covishield vaccine in New Delhi. Phase-I of the nationwide drive was reserved for healthcare workers in the frontline of the battle against Covid-19 | SHEKHAR YADAV, UDAYSHANKAR S, VINAY MADAPU, SANESH SAKA, & G SATYANARAYANA Union Health Ministry claims there were no cases of post-inoculation hospitalisation PEOPLE OF K’TAKA ROLL UP SLEEVE AGAINST COVID-19 T E A M T N I E @ Bengaluru THE first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Karnataka began at 243 sites across the state, including nine in Bengaluru, on Saturday minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched it through video-conferencing. Nagaratna K, a 28-yearold ward attendant at Victoria Hospital, became the first one to receive the jab in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Minister VACC I NE DAY 1 60.2% 59% of the total registered beneficiaries in state took the vaccination shot in Bengaluru; of which 65% in the six zones of Bengaluru Urban, 53% in Bengaluru Rural Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Raichur districts saw an average of 65% Pralhad Joshi and state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar. While some districts saw very few beneficiaries turning up to take the jab, there were also technical glitches with the CoWIN app which resulted in some delay in starting the drive. However, there were no major side-effects reported among the beneficiaries other than giddiness, pain and swelling in the vaccination area. Addressing a press conference in the evening, after a discussion with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, the state health minister said, “It was a historic moment for us. Our scientists have developed vaccines for Covid-19 in just 10 months. Every citizen is indebted to our scientists and institutions. I also thank the PM, the CM and all other leaders who guided us.” CONTINUED ON: P7 I was working in the Covid ward for a month and was at high risk of infection. Now with the jab, I feel very confident. Nagarathna, who got the first shot We did not fear death while carrying out our job. Now, why would we fear taking a vaccine that is meant to protect us? Syed Hussain, Staffer at Madikeri District Hospital I was not afraid of Covid itself, and took all the precautions while on duty. I am not afraid of the vaccination either. Sandesh U, Ambulance Driver in Mysuru I will take the vaccine when told, says CM EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru URGING health workers and others to take the Covid-19 vaccine without any apprehension, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said he will take the shot when he is advised to do so. Addressing the media on Saturday, Yediyurappa said, “In Karnataka, we have identified 243 centres, and in each centre, 100 people will get vaccinated in a day The numbers . will increase gradually Many, . including senior medical experts like Dr Sudarshan Balal, are taking this vaccine. One need not be skeptical or fearful as the vaccine is from India. Karnataka has sufficient cold storage facilities for the vaccine vials. As on Saturday, 43,015 frontline workers were registered for the drive. We are one among the few states to register such a big number for the vaccination.” IN MESSAGE TO DETRACTORS, OPPN, SHAH BACKS BSY’s LEADERSHIP EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru AT a time when the Opposition is going hammer and tongs against the BJP government and voices of dissent are being heard within the ruling party after the cabinet rejig, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has firmly endorsed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s leadership. “Every other day, I keep reading about our Congress friends’ statements about all kinds of speculation. I want to tell everyone that the BJP government in Karnataka will complete its full term and come back to power again for Home Minister Amit Shah in Bengaluru on Saturday | ASHISHKRISHNA HP five years with full majority ,” Shah asserted, while virtually inaugurating ‘Police Gruha 2025’, a housing project, and the India Reserve Battalion Police (IRBP) unit in Vijayapura, from the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru Transgenders in Bihar realise their khaki dream RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ Patna BIHAR has paved the path for the transgenders to don khaki by sanctioning direct recruitment to the posts of constables and assistant sub-inspectors. Apart from the giant leap towards empowering the third gender, the state has also reserved one post out of every 500 in the constable-ASI ranks for the transgenders. Touching upon the concept of proportional representation, the notification said that out of the sanctioned police strength of 1,30,243, transgenders should be given 51 (41 ASI and 10 constable) posts based on their proportion to the total population. As per the 2011 census, the transgenders form 0.039 per cent (40,287) of Bihar’s population of 10.41 crore. ADG(HQ) Jitendra Kumar said that 51 transgenders would be recruited as per the recommendations of the Home department. According to the notification, Superintendent of Police would be empowered to recruit constables, while the DIG would select the ASIs as per norms. The direct recruitment would be only for transgenders from Bihar. Welcoming the decision as historic, Reshma Prasad, one of the members of Notable mentions Chhattisgarh was the first state to allow transgenders in the police force in 2018, though K Prithika Yashini from Tamil Nadu was the first to be inducted into any police force as an SI in 2017. The Centre last year approved the recruitment of transgenders in paramilitary the National Council for T r a n s g e n d e r Pe r s o n s (NCTP), said the community was grateful to the Nitish government. “The community has also demanded a separate battalion of transgender police personnel, along with a two per cent quota, in the state police force,” she said. on Saturday evening. Launching a broadside against the Congress, Shah said that instead of indulging in such talk, they must work with the people as they are not going to get anything from the BJP, which is a party that works for people. “A number of development works have been taken up in Karnataka and the state is marching on the development path under Yediyurappa’s leadership. It will continue to do so and PM Modi too has g ranted a number of projects for Karnataka,” Shah pointed out. He added that the Centre will strongly back the CM and deP5 velopment of the state. ‘Yediyurappa did well in Covid fight’ Union Home Minister Amit Shah appreciated CM Yediyurappa’s leadership and the State Government’s efforts in fighting Covid-19. “I have no hesitation to say that under Yediyurappa’s leadership, Karnataka has done very well in fighting Covid,” he said. WHATSAPP DEFERS ITS UPDATED DATA PRIVACY POLICY TILL MAY 15 Facing backlash over forcing upon users its updated privacy policy, Facebook-owned WhatsApp announced that it never had any plans to delete non-complying accounts on February 8. The date extension is aimed at clearing ‘confusion’ | P12 EXPRESS READ NIA summons farmer leader Fan complains of racism at SCG Bengaluru: The NIA has summoned farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa and 11 others in connection with a case against a leader of a pro-Khalistan outfit. Sydney: An Indian fan has alleged that he was subjected to racial abuse by a security officer at SCG, during the third Test against Australia played there. MUTANT vs VACCINATOR PLUS 12 PAGES MUSHROOMING INTEREST P2 Sign consent form 3,351 sessions held at 3,006 vaccination sites across country for Covaxin shot ment plans to vaccinate 1 crore healthcare workers followed by 2 OVER 60% of the targeted 3 lakh- crore frontline workers comprisplus healthcare workers ing police, paramilitary scheduled to get the Covand defence personnel. Adverse id-19 vaccine on the first Even though politievents in day of the vaccination cians were not supposed Delhi, MH programme took the to get the vaccine shots At least 52 shot on Saturday the Un, in the first phase, there ion Health ministry said. cases of adverse were reports of several events were It added that 3,351 sesTrinamool Cong ress sions were held through- reported among leaders, including two health workers out the country wherein MLAs, receiving the who were 1,91,181 beneficiaries Covid-19 vaccine in West administered were vaccinated. Bengal’s Purba Bardhathe coronavirus The ministry had earman district on Saturlier said at every 3,006 vaccine in Delhi day. It created a controon Saturday, vaccination centres versy with many according to throughout the country, healthcare workers also official figures. 100 beneficiaries each alleging that they could Maharashtra would be vaccinated on not get the jab, accordreported the first day Though the . ing to media reports. immediate reasons for another 14 such Talking to reporters cases the fewer than targeted on Saturday evening, adnumber of vaccinations ditional secretary in the achieved was not shared, govern- health ministry Manohar Agnani ment sources conceded that at claimed there were no reports of most places, less than the invited hospitalisation after vaccination beneficiaries had turned up. from anywhere in the country . CONTINUED ON: P9 In the first phase, the governS U M I S U K A N YA D U T TA @ New Delhi E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi SIGNING a consent form is mandatory to get Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin jab. While the form makes it clear that Bharat Biotech will be liable to pay compensation in case of serious adverse events following immunisation, it is silent on the amount. The form is attached with the vaccine, whose efficacy is yet to be proven. It has been launched on ‘clinical trial mode’, as mandated by the Drug Controller General of India. Sources in the Union Health Ministry and the ICMR said that Covaxin recipients are required to sign the consent form, which assures medical care and compensation if any adverse effect linked to the vaccine was found. The government has procured 55 million doses of Covaxin for the first phase of the nationwide vaccination drive. However, doctors have raised concerns over being inoculated with a vaccine that is still under trial. In several states, like in Delhi, Covaxin is being offered only at Centrally-run hospitals; healthcare workers are not given the choice of vaccine.