A retired army officer, 102, was vaccinated yesterday in Bengaluru.
India's public rollout of coronavirus vaccines began on Monday to strengthen the fight against the deadly virus that has affected more than 1.1 crore people in a year. Despite vaccine hesitancy worldwide, there are many who are leading by example by getting vaccinated, including world leaders and celebrities. In Bengaluru, a 102-year-old retired army officer took the coronavirus vaccine shot yesterday; his video was shared by Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar to inspire others.
"Do listen to these inspiring words from the 102 year old veteran retired Army officer who took Covid-19 vaccination in Bengaluru yesterday. Hats off to your spirit Sir Folded hands. India can become Covid-19 free only when each one of us become Covid-19 free," Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar wrote in his tweet.
In the clip, the 102-year-old is heard saying that he "isn't afraid to take the vaccine". "I am a retired army officer. I am aged 102. I am in good health and I am not afraid to face small vaccination... I've been prepared to face bullets," he says.
He gives two reasons why vaccination for all is important. "There are two reasons why I decided to take this injection. Firstly, that prevents from me becoming a liability by becoming a patient and spread the disease to others. If I get infected, it is likely to spread. It's in the interest of the rest of the world to take this vaccination," he is heard saying in the video.
On Monday, over 29 lakh people had registered - online or via the Aarogya Setu app - by 8:30 pm, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told NDTV. He also urged people to keep their guard up despite the rollout of the vaccines.
As the day began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a photo of himself getting vaccinated at Delhi's AIIMS. His post had a message for all the Indians. "Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19. I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free," the Prime Minister wrote.