DW BUREAU / chandigarh Senior doctors and other healthcare workers were administered coronavirus vaccine at over 100 sites in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday, according to officials. The authorities had earmarked 59 sites in Punjab and 77 in Haryana for the drive, which was rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Senior doctors received the first shot of the vaccine at many locations to build confidence and dispel any apprehensions about the vaccine. Punjab and Haryana had received 2.04 lakh and 2.41 lakh doses of the vaccine, respectively. Haryana Director General Health Services Suraj Bhan Kamboj received a shot of the jab and said, "The vaccine is safe and more and more people should get vaccinated themselves." In a response to a query, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who launched the drive from Mohali, also said it would not have been approved had the scientists not been sure of its safety.Patiala Civil Surgeon Satinder Singh said he, along with other senior doctors, took the shot so that a sense of confidence could be built among people. A doctor at the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana said he was proud to have got an opportunity to get the first shot. He appealed to people not to be scared of the vaccine. Many senior doctors who received the shot said the vaccine was 100 per cent safe and people should trust it. Punjab joined the rest of the country in the historic roll-out of the Covid vaccine on Saturday morning, with five Health Care Workers (HCWs) getting the jab in the presence of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who virtually kicked off the process to inoculate 1.74 lakh HCWs in the first phase. Dr Sandeep Singh, Dr Charan Kamal, Dr Dimple Dhaliwal Srivastva, Computer Operator Asha Yadav and Class IV employee Surjit Singh were administered the first dose of Covishield Vaccine in the presence of the Chief Minister at Civil Hospital Phase-6. Captain Amarinder Singh also gifted saplings to these five healthcare workers, posted at Civil Hospital, Mohali, as a token of appreciation. Interacting with media persons, the Chief Minister said it was his desire to get vaccinated first but in accordance with the directives of the Government of India only HCWs could be covered in the first phase. "I would definitely get myself vaccinated in the next phase," revealed Captain Amarinder Singh. He said that the vaccine would be administered to the HCWs first, followed by the army and police personnel, in line with the guidelines of the Government of India. He disclosed that he had written to the Prime Minister for permission for free distribution amongst the people belonging to the lower income Groups. In response to a query on vaccine safety, the Chief Minister said the vaccine would not have been approved unless the scientists were sure of its safety. He noted that Covid vaccines around the world had been taken by many eminent personalities, including Queen Elizabeth of UK who is 93 and her husband who is 99, without any side effects. Earlier, in his address at the Kisan Vikas Chamber, the Chief Minister said that he was delighted to announce the state-wide launch of the Covid vaccine, while appealing to the people to continue to wear masks and observe all social distancing and other safety norms. Noting that all the restrictions imposed during lockdown, curfew and thereafter had been aimed at delaying the peak of the pandemic so that the vaccine could be available, the Chief Minister thanked the people for their patience and cooperation during this difficult phase. Hoping that the vaccination would pave the way for the complete eradication of the Covid pandemic from Punjab and the rest of India, the Chief Minister said it was undoubtedly a memorable day when the long awaited vaccine had arrived after getting all the mandatory approvals from health experts in the Government of India. He prayed to the Waheguru for the success of the vaccination drive to ensure the safety and protection of every citizen. The Chief Minister lauded the healthcare workers and others responsible for keeping the spread of the pandemic in check in the state, where the number of daily cases had come down from the peak of 3700 to 242. The target was to bring them down to zero, he said, asserting that his government would continue its endeavour to safeguard the interests of all Punjabis. (editor@dailyworld.in)