Authorities in the Afghan Public Health Ministry (MoPH) said the ministry kicked off the inoculation drive after the vaccine it received from the neighboring India was approved by the World Health Organization.
Afghanistan received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine developed by Serum Institute of India for low- and mid-income nations on early February. It began its vaccination campaign last week, with representatives from healthcare, media and Afghan forces receiving the first shots.
Masooma Jafari, Deputy Spokeswoman for the Public Health Ministry, on Monday spoke to TKG, saying vaccines could have normal and unusual signs, but the ministry has recorded no severe allergic reaction following the immunization.
The ministry is ready has taken necessary measures in case of any likely risks, she said.
Yasin Miakhel, head of surgery department in Baghlan-e Markazi (Central Baghlan) hospital is among the medical doctors receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
He said speaking to TKG that side effects vary among people and it usually disappears 24 hours after the vaccine is administered.
Abdul Hakim Safi, an otolaryngologist in one of the Kabul city’s private hospitals, said pain in muscles, itching, fatigue, fever, headache and spewing vom are common signs of this vaccine.
He said abdominal pain, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, sweating and boredom are the unusual effects of the vaccine.
Aman Farhang, an Afghan journalist in one of TV networks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, said he does not believe in vaccine’s effectiveness and doesn’t want to get inoculated.
India on February donated 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Afghanistan.
The vaccine shots were first in the country which will immunize 250,000 people—two shots for every person.
The vaccines will be administered to 110,000 healthcare workers and then to security forces and journalists.
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