vaccination

On March 22nd, I opened the  Aarogya Setu app on my phone to book our appointment for the second or booster dose of the Covishield vaccine. My husband and I had had our first shot before noon on March 1st, when the union government rolled out the programme for senior citizens like us. We were told we could take the next shot after 28 days. A few days' delay would not matter, added the doctor at the vaccination centre. The earliest appointment I got (confirmed via SMS) at our preferred centre, Yashoda Multi Specialty Hospital, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, where we had taken…

25th March 2021 marked one year of the COVID-19 lockdown that was imposed by the Government of India in order to curb the countrywide spread. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on 24th March 2020 emphasised the need to impose a nation-wide lockdown and ensure the wellbeing of the citizens.  From March last year to this, a lot has changed. India has made some rapid advancements in terms of COVID-19 preparations and is currently administering phase II of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Additionally, the states have also re-opened industries, airports, workplaces, public transport, gyms, markets, malls…

“People have forgotten that the virus is still here,” says Dr Narendra Kumar Arora, member, National Covid Task Force. “They stopped wearing masks, or don’t wear them properly. They began to organise large social gatherings. It helped the virus spread,” causing a second country-wide wave of the COVID-19 infections, with daily cases crossing 50,000, for the first time since October last year.  Worryingly, the second wave seems to be more widespread than the first one, with the number of daily cases rising sharply from a low of about 8600 a day in February first week to a new high of 59,118…

Starting March 1, there has been much excitement among our senior citizens – and all because of the Covid vaccine. As one meme doing the social media rounds said, “Children take parents for vaccination!” My parents got the Covid vaccine at Dayanand Sagar Hospital, Kumaraswamy Layout, Bengaluru, on 4th March 2021.  They had registered on the Aarogya Setu app and managed to get an appointment after trying for several hours the previous day. Those familiar with the process would be aware that beneficiaries are asked to select the hospital and date and then choose between “Forenoon” and “Afternoon” slots.  Read…

Pay to park outside your home Parking a vehicle in a public space in the city, including on a residential street, will be charged. That is the norm under Parking Policy 2.0 approved by the Urban Development Department. It will come into effect once the Directorate of Urban Land Transport and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike prepare area parking plans, six months to one year from now. Almost all places including commercial and residential areas will be covered under the pay and park system. The new parking policy introduces a permit system to park outside one's home as well. The annual…

The much awaited vaccination programme against COVID-19 will begin all across Karnataka on Saturday, January 16. To start with, four lakh healthcare and frontline workers will get vaccinated against COVID-19 when the process begins. Health minister Dr K Sudhakar informed the media that the state is fully prepared for the mammoth task. Corona warriors including police personnel and rural development department staffers will be administered the vaccine in the initial phase. As many as 16 lakh people will be covered in the initial phase of vaccination across the State, said Sudhakar, through an audio recording released by his office. On…

Unlike last year's scene in city hospitals where a sense of panic had gripped Bengaluru during the ‘swine flu' season, this year the city seems more aware about this illness. Also, this year, with the availability of the H1N1 vaccine, many have opted to protect themselves through this. Though vaccination against H1N1 influenza virus is not compulsory, those with chronic illnesses are advised to take it. Pic Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons. With the monsoons and winter closing in on Bengaluru, more people are also likely to seek vaccination now. Here is a detailed guide on whether one should get vaccinated, who…