Prominent physician Dr Mohan Thomas has encouraged everyone to take the Covid-19 vaccine as it provides freedom for mobility and protection for the community.
“We were like caged birds for several months. Today as different vaccines are rolled out to the humanity, we see light at the end of the tunnel.
“While 21 days ago I took my first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, the second dose was taken yesterday,” said the long-term practising ENT specialist who is involved in many socio-cultural activities.
Dr Thomas complimented the authorities for the excellent arrangements for vaccination in the country.“We were overwhelmed by the excellent arrangements by the Ministry of Public Health for rolling out the vaccination programme; right from sending us messages followed by personal calls, meticulously recording allergy status and contraindications for vaccination and the extreme care given during the procedure.
“It is quite magnanimous of the government to provide this facility free of cost to all residents in the country,” he explained.
Allaying any fears about the safety of the vaccine given in the country, the physician said: “The Pfizer BioNTech mRNA Covid -19 Vaccine, being administered here is a two shot vaccine taken 21 days apart. The Pfizer vaccine has showed an efficacy of 95% at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infection, starting from seven days after the second dose is administered.
“The vaccine contains the active ingredient tozinameran. This intramuscular injection has got the modified mRNA encoding a mutated form of spike protein of Sars Cov-2.”
Highlighting the need for getting the vaccine, Dr Thomas said: “Unlike other vaccinations, which are taken only for the welfare of the recipient, Covid-19 vaccinations aim at protecting our entire community, our family, our friends and anyone we come into contact, by protecting us and breaking chain.
“This is not only a personal choice but also a decision for family and friends and an act of social cause.”
According to Dr Thomas, news of the death of 33 vaccinated people in Norway had been a concern but he pointed out that they were reported to be fragile and chronically ill senior citizens.
He also felt that the vaccination certificate can become a global mandatory document for any traveller.
“With Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive expressing his belief that the Covid-19 vaccination certificate may become the new norm for boarding airplanes or entering countries, the new world travel will proceed with this vaccination certificate as a global mandatory document for any traveller.
“This vaccination may also in the future avoid the quarantine for travel, which poses such a big hindrance and threat for contamination with quarantining facilities becoming a hub for the virus spread,” he said.
Dr Thomas emphasised that freedom is the oxygen of life.“Freedom to express, freedom to travel and so on but the Covid-19 tied us all to one place with no freedom to see loved ones, to give the last hug to the departed near ones or to attend a historic function in the family.
“We missed a lot in the last one year.
“This pandemic has given us many lessons, the most important being joint effort to bring about a change in the world. Let us join together to bring the change, be a part of this movement and bring back our normal lives to our future. Let us do this and let us fly again, free from the binds clung to our wings,” added Dr Thomas.
Dr Mohan Thomas
