Kameshwari J, 103, received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine here on Tuesday, emerging as arguably India's oldest woman to get vaccinated. The vaccine was administered at Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road.
Kameshwari was accompanied by her 77-year-old son Prasad Rao and other eligible family members for the vaccination. "She co-operated well with the staff while getting vaccinated, and neither she nor her family members reported any side effects in the 30-minute post-vaccination observation," a hospital spokesperson said.
On March 6, another centenarian, 100-year-old Sumitra Dhandia, had received the Covid jab at New Delhi Municipal Corporation's Charak Palika Hospital. She, too, did not report any side effects in the 30-minute observation period after the vaccination, the hospital's chief medical officer had said.
Commenting on Kameshwari, Apollo Hospitals' official spokesperson said: "We appreciate the courage and grit shown by Smt J. Kameshwari and her family, especially at this age, to fight against the pandemic by getting vaccinated. They deserve to be praised for setting an example for other senior citizens and helping to alleviate any fear and doubts in their minds regarding vaccination."
As part of the third phase of vaccination, about 27 crore people above 60 years of age, and those between 45 and 59 with co-morbidities are being covered. Health Ministry data shows that over 60% of the vaccine recepients nationwide are senior citizens.
Since the vaccination drive commenced on January 16, over 2.30 crore vaccines have been administered across the country.