Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launching the Covid vaccination drive in Tamil Nadu at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Saturday. Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, Ministers Dindigul C Srinivasan, Sellur K Raju, C Vijayabaskar, Kadambur Raju, and RB Udhayakumar, along with Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan also took part | FULL COVERAGE: P2 NAGAPATTINAM  SUNDAY  JANUARY 17, 2021  `8.00  PAGES 24  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 BENGALURU 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, MEGHANA SASTRY, VINAY MADAPU, SANESH SAKA & G SATYANARAYANA Health ministry claims no cases of post-inoculation hospitalisation; Bharat Biotech to compensate Covaxin recipients in case of adverse reaction Sign consent form to get Covaxin shot many healthcare workers also alleging that they could not get the jab, acOVER 60% of the targeted 3 lakh-plus cording to media reports. healthcare workers scheduled to get Talking to reporters on Saturday the Covid-19 vaccine on the first day evening, additional secretary in the of the vaccination programme took health ministry Manohar Agnani the shot on Saturday, the Union claimed there were no reports of hoshealth ministry said. It added that pitalisation after vaccination from 3,351 sessions were held throughout anywhere in the country . the country wherein 1,91,181 benefiHowever, official figures showed ciaries were vaccinated. that in Delhi alone, 52 cases The ministry had earlier of AEFI (adverse events folAdverse said at every 3,006 vaccinalowing immunisation) were events in tion centres throughout the reported among health Delhi, MH country, 100 beneficiaries workers post vaccination. each would be vaccinated At least 52 cases Of these one case turned of adverse events out to be severe that reon the first day Though the . were reported immediate reasons for the quired hospitalisation. among health fewer than targeted number The Co-WIN software deworkers who were signed for the vaccination of vaccinations achieved was not shared, govern- administered the drive also reported technicoronavirus ment sources conceded that cal glitches, resulting in devaccine in Delhi on lay in uploading the benefiat most places, less than the Saturday, invited beneficiaries had ciary list at some sites. according to turned up. In terms of the number official figures. In the first phase, the govof people vaccinated, the Maharashtra ernment plans to vaccinate highest was in Andhra 1 crore healthcare workers reported another Pradesh at 16,693, followed 14 such cases followed by 2 crore frontby Bihar (16,401). line workers comprising The government has propolice, paramilitary and defence cured 110 million doses of Covishield personnel. manufactured by the Serum Institute Even though politicians were not of India and 55 million doses of Covsupposed to get the vaccine shots in axin by Bharat Biotech. the first phase, there were reports of While launching the vaccination several Trinamool Congress leaders, drive, Prime Minister Narendra including two MLAs, receiving the Modi sought to dispel concerns about Covid-19 vaccine in West Bengal’s vaccines saying they were approved Purba Bardhaman district on Satur- only after scientists were convinced day. It created a controversy with of their safety and effectiveness. P7 E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi S U M I S U K A N YA D U T TA @ 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. “In phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials, Covaxin has demonstrated the ability to produce antibodies against Covid-19,” says the form. “However, the clinical efficacy of Covaxin is yet to be established. Hence, it is important to appreciate that receiving the vaccine does not mean that other precautions related to Covid-19 need not be followed,” it adds. After I-T raids, farmers’ protest supporters face NIA summons EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chandigarh/New Delhi AFTER the raids by the income tax department on commission agents in Punjab who are supporters of farmers’ protest, the National Investig ation Agency has served notices to 12 activists who have supported the agitation, including Baldev Singh Sirsa, the president of the Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society . Sirsa, who has been part of the farmers’ team in the talks with the Centre, has been summoned by the agency for questioning on January 17, two days before the 10th round of talks. The NIA said Sirsa had been called as a witness in connection with a terror funding case registered against the Sikhs For Justice, a banned Khalistani outfit. “A notice has been sent under Section 160 CrPC, which is done for witness summons,” an official said. The others who have been summoned include Baltej Pannu, a radio and TV journalist working with American and Canadian media houses, activist Jasveer Singh, Jasbir Singh Rode, Balwinder Pal Singh, Sukhpreet Singh Udhoke, Karnail Singh, Mandeep Singh, Paramjit Singh, Ranjit Singh, Surinder Singh, Pardeep Singh, Inderpal Singh Judge, Naresh Kumar and cable TV operator Jaspal Singh. CONTINUED ON: P7 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’ | P11 EXPRESS READ 2 dead, 34 injured at Manju Virattu event Sivaganga: Two persons were gored to death and 34 others sustained injuries during a Manju Virattu (bull chasing) event in Siravayal here on Saturday. The deceased were identified as P Bose (62) and C Periyakaruppan (80) | P4 Council nomination for Shahnawaz Hussain New Delhi: Ex-Union Minister Shahnawaz Hussain bagged a nomination from the BJP for the bypolls in Bihar legislative council. The terms for two seats vacated by BJP will end in July 2022. Hussain will be a nominee for remaining term | P7 MUTANT vs VACCINATOR PLUS 12 PAGES GIANT LEAP Bihar transgenders realise their khaki dream 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 R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ 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, transgen- ders 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 the National Council for Transgender Persons (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. FEAR WILL FADE AWAY GRADUALLY, ASSURES EPS dence. He further stated that Tamil Nadu has a total of 5,56,500 doses “I would certainly get vaccinated of Covishield and Covaxin vacwhen my turn comes,” Chief Min- cines in stock. With the available ister Edappadi K Palaniswami doses, TN intends to inoculate 2.5 said on Saturday after kicking-off lakh health workers initially, by the Covid vaccination drive at the administering two doses each to Government Rajaji Hospital in them, with a 28-day gap, he said. Madurai. The first shot of the vacResponding to a query on why cine was administered TN chose to administer to Dr K Senthil, State Covaxin when States president of TN Govlike Chattisgargh deernment Doctors Assoclined to use it citing its The vaccines were ciation. Following him, pending phase III trial, approved by the Dr A Jayalal, national the Chief Minister said, Centre after careful president of Indian “The vaccine was apscrutiny by the Drug Medical Association Controller General of proved by the Centre af(IMA), Dr J Sangumani, ter careful scrutiny by India. The State has Dean of GRH, and Dr the Drug Controller adopted its decision Ramakrishnan, State General of India and president of IMA, were Edappadi K Palaniswami the State has adopted inoculated. Gover nthe Centre’s decision.” ment and private doctors, sanitary Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, workers at GRH, and ambulance Ministers C Vijayabaskar, RB Uddrivers were also vaccinated. hayakumar, Sellur K Raju, Palaniswami said that the top Dindigul C Srinivasan, Theni MP doctors receiving the first two P Ravindhranath, Health Secreshots has sent a strong message to tary Dr J Radhakrishnan, Collecthe larger public that the vaccines tor T Anbalagan and Director of are safe. “The fear will fade away Public Health Dr TS SelvavinayP2 gradually,” he expressed confi- agam were also present. L A L I T H A R A N J A N I @ Madurai Day 1: Over 2,600 vaccinated in TN E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai IS it the beginning of the end for the pandemic? That was, indeed, the popular opinion in Tamil Nadu on Saturday as the vaccination drive began in , the auspicious Tamil month of Thai. A substantial 2,684 healthcare workers got vaccinated on Day-1, said the health department. To instil confidence among masses, top doctors of the State got vaccinated on the very first day. The list includes, Manoj Murhekar, director of the National Institute of Epidemiology, Sudha Seshayyan, V-C of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, Prathap C Reddy, chairman of Apollo Hospitals, and Prashanth Rajagopalan, director of MGM Healthcare Hospital. The turnout among nurses was low, according to data. At Stanley Government Hospital in Chennai, only two of the 25 registered nurses took the jab. In all of Coimbatore, only 72 of 400 registered healthcare workers turned up for vaccination. Officials are hoping the number will go up gradually in the coming days. ‘SHOT’ STORIES: P2