NE NEWS SERVICE
CHANDIGARH, DEC 5
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who got one shot of the trial dose of COVID vaccine Covaxin weeks ago, on Saturday said that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
I have been tested Corona positive. I am admitted in Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt. All those who have come in close contact to me are advised to get themselves tested for corona.
— ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA ( मोदी का परिवार ) (@anilvijminister) December 5, 2020
Vij said antibodies start to develop after administration of the second dose, which is given 28 days after the first shot, and there is no protection during this period.
The 67-year-old minister was given the first shot on November 20.
“I have been tested Corona positive. I am admitted to Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt. All those who have come in close contact with me are advised to get themselves tested for corona (sic),” tweeted Vij who is also the state’s home minister.
Stressing that experts would know better about how the COVID vaccine works, Vij said, “I was told that antibodies start to develop after the second dose, which is administered after 28 days of getting the first shot. And full antibodies are developed 14 days after the second dose is given. So, the complete cycle takes 42 days. In between, there is no protection.”
Asked about his condition, Vij said he has a sore throat, fever, and body ache.
“But overall I am okay,” Vij, who is a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a legislator from Ambala Cantt assembly constituency, said.
Vij said that he had gone to Panipat a few days ago where he spent 2-3 hours with a BJP leader, who too has tested positive for COVID-19.
“Later, I got myself tested, but the first test returned negative. After some symptoms showed up, the second test was done which was positive today,” he said.
A three-member delegation of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), the BJP’s coalition partner in Haryana, had met Vij on Friday and sought withdrawal of cases registered in the state against farmers participating in the ”Delhi Chalo” march against the Centre’s farm laws.
The delegation was led by JJP’s state unit chief Nishan Singh and senior party leader Digvijay Singh Chautala was also a part of it.
Yoga guru Ramdev too had met Vij here on Tuesday in his office where some media persons were also present.
Earlier, Chief Minister M L Khattar, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, State Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, and a couple of ministers in the BJP-JJP government have contracted the virus.
Vij had offered to be the first volunteer in the phase three trials for Covaxin, an indigenous potential vaccine against COVID-19. He was administered the dose on November 20 at the Civil Hospital at Ambala Cantt.
“I will be administered a trial dose of Coronavirus vaccine #Covaxin a Bharat Biotech product Tomorrow at 11 am at Civil hospital, Ambala Cantt under the expert supervision of a team of doctors from PGI Rohtak and Health Department, Vij had said in a tweet.
“I have volunteered to take the trial dose,” he added.
Covaxin is being developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
