Planning to take Corona jab anytime soon? Here’s your ultimate vaccine checklist

At a time when more people are stepping out to get themselves vaccinated against Coronavirus, it is imperative that some measures are kept in mind before and after the vaccine has been given. It is to note that so far, more 1.63 crore people have taken the vaccine in India and even though there has been no such adverse effect on people, there are a few who have reported some side-effects/ mild illness following the COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, it has been recommended that some measures are a must if you are going to get yourselves a jab.

COVID-19 vaccination measures

• Before taking the vaccine shot, people having some allergies to medication, or drugs, will have to get clearance from a medical practitioner. Doctors can recommend checks on C-reactive protein (CRP), complete blood count (CBC), or Immunoglobulin-E (IgE) levels before a person takes a vaccine. 
• If a doctor has prescribed taking medicines or eating well ahead of vaccination, one should take care of that. 
• Experts have asked people to relaxed in general or consult for help when feeling anxious.
• Those with diabetes or blood pressure conditions will be needing to keep check on these. Same goes for the Cancer patients, especially the ones on chemotherapy. They have been asked to take vaccine shot upon medical advice.
• Also, medical experts have asked people who are receiving COVID-19 treatment- blood plasma or monoclonal antibodies along with those infected in the last one and a half to not take the vaccine right away. 
• After the vaccination process is done, a beneficiary will be monitored at the vaccine centre in order to look for any immediate severe allergic reaction. After getting the jab, people will not be allowed to leave the centre till it has been made sure that there is no immediate/ severe impact. 
• People may witness some side effects including pain at the injection site or fever as these are some common symptoms for vaccination, so there is no need for them to panic. 
• Experts have also warned against some other side effects- fatigue and chills. However, they are likely to go away in a few days.

What to keep in mind after vaccination?

A report by The Indian Express noted that vaccines when injected teach the body’s immune system regarding the recognition of external threat and how to fight it. In the Coronavirus case, it is likely that the vaccination will take a few weeks to prepare the body to build immunity. Therefore, even if the person has received the vaccine, it is crucial to take precautions as he/she could still get the infection. Even after vaccination, masks and other guidelines laid down for the Coronavirus infection need to be followed.

Meanwhile, Dr Shashank Joshi who is also a member of Maharashtra’s Covid-19 task force said that in India both the vaccines- Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin as well as Serum Institute of India’s Covishield are safe and some minor side-effects can be seen in some cases which is not uncommon for any vaccine.