1,65,714 people received the COVID-19 vaccine shot on the first day. Culmination of five months’ hard work, Union health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

After a review of the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Health Ministry on Saturday evening said 1,65,714 people were vaccinated as per the provisional reports. It said 16,755 personnel were involved in organising the immunisation session sites. No case of post-vaccination hospitalisation has been reported so far, it said.
However, a security guard who was administered a shot of Covaxin at AIIMS in New Delhi on Saturday was admitted at the hospital after he developed an allergic reaction as part of severe adverse events following immunisation.
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Brihanmumbai Municpial Corporation halts vaccination
The Brihanmumbai Municpial Corporation (BMC) on Saturday said the vaccination drive in the city would be halted on Sunday and Monday due to a snag in the CoWIN application, which is being used by people to register for the vaccine.
The BMC said, Glitches were observed in CoWIN app following which offline registration was allowed today. But the government has made digital registration mandatory. Vaccination will be suspended till the glitches are rectified.
Do not consume alcohol for 45 days after vaccination: Experts
Those who get vaccinated for COVID-19 should not consume alcohol till 45 days after vaccination, said M.K. Sudarshan, chairman of the States Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
He said consuming alcohol is not advisable after any vaccination. Consumption of alcohol is known to affect the immune response. This has been seen in other vaccines. There is also a mention of this in the use of Sputnik V vaccine given in Russia, he told The Hindu on Saturday after getting vaccinated.
V. Ravi, who is also part of the TAC, explained that alcohol consumption may lead to impaired liver function in a person who has been vaccinated and the persons immune response may be compromised. In such a case, the person may not develop adequate immunogenicity and the purpose of vaccination is defeated, he said.
Australian Open to plough ahead despite players’ quarantine anger
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has confirmed the year’s first Grand Slam will go ahead from February 8 despite anger from players forced into hard quarantine in Melbourne due to positive COVID-19 cases on their charter planes.
Forty-seven players and their entourages have to isolate for two weeks in Melbourne in their hotel rooms and no longer be able to leave them to train after three coronavirus infections were reported on two chartered flights carrying them to Melbourne.
Other players who have landed in Australia are also undertaking mandatory 14-day quarantine but are permitted to leave their hotels for five hours a day to train, raising questions about the integrity of the Grand Slam.
Security guard administered COVID vaccine admitted at AIIMS after developing allergic reaction
A security guard who was administered a shot of Covaxin at AIIMS in New Delhi on Saturday was admitted at the hospital after he developed an allergic reaction as part of severe adverse events following immunisation.
According to AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, the security guard, in his 20s, at AIIMS who received the jab after 4 p.m., complained of palpitations and developed an allergic skin rash within 15-20 minutes after being inoculated and was admitted to the facility.
He was immediately managed with appropriate treatment and he improved. He is stable. As a precautionary measure he has been admitted for overnight observation and his condition is being monitored. He is likely to be discharged in the morning, Dr. Guleria said.
Travel agents body seeks guidelines for travellers who have taken Covid-19 jab
Travel agents’ body TAAI on Saturday urged the government to come out with guidelines for travellers, both domestic and international, who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and asked to do away with quarantine requirement for such travellers.
Many countries have started the process of vaccination and travellers who have already been vaccinated are desirous of travel to India, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said in a release.
However, currently, there is no clarity in terms of how their entry into India shall be permitted, it added.
Stating that a central-government mandated “uniform policy” is needed for this purpose, TAAI urged Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel “to set up urgent protocols for travellers who are getting vaccinated against COVID-19”.
A.P. reports zero deaths for second time this month
For the second time this month, there have been no fatalities related to COVID-19 in the State. In the 24 hours ending Saturday morning, 114 new infections were reported and no new deaths occurred in the State.
On January 1, no deaths were reported, and, on an average, two deaths per day were being reported since then.
While the toll remained at 7,139, the number of infections reported so far increased to 8,85,824 with a recovery rate of 98.97% with 326 more patients recovering in the last one day.