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Covid-19 vaccine in UAE: Elderly couple steps out of home after a year to get the jab

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Shashikant Kalidas and Mradulla. — Supplied photo

Shashikant Kalidas and Mradulla. — Supplied photo

Seniors, as well as those with chronic diseases, are encouraged to take the Covid-19 vaccine.

Published: Wed 6 Jan 2021, 2:02 PM

Updated: Wed 14 Dec 2022, 10:50 AM

For the first time after nearly a year, seniors Shashikant Kalidas and Mradulla finally stepped out of their home in Abu Dhabi — to get their Covid jab.

“We were under ‘home arrest’ because of the fear of getting infected, but it was the only way to save ourselves from trouble. Now, the vaccine is available, and I heard a lot about this particular vaccine, which the government has been giving. I came to know it is quite safe. And now we have experienced it first-hand,” said Kalidasa, a 69-year-old retired banker.

Read on: UAE to vaccinate 50% population in first quarter

His wife Mradulla, a 65-year-old homemaker who is paralysed from her neck down, was a bit hesitant to take the vaccine but now feels glad that she did. “I was reluctant but then my daughter Sapna and son-in-law Manish had taken the vaccines and they were fine. And I too felt it is better to have something in hand than nothing at all. And the government is recommending it. The experience at the centre was excellent.”

The elderly received their first dose of the vaccine at a centre run by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha). Senior citizens and residents, along with frontliners and those with chronic diseases, are a priority in the nationwide vaccine rollout.

Free Covid vaccine in UAE: Emirate-wise list of centres where one can get the jab

Through the years, Kalidas and Mradulla have fought their way past several odds and see vaccination as a tool to secure themselves and the country. It was in 1977 when Kalidas arrived in Abu Dhabi. Life was good until a cruel road accident left Mradulla quadriplegic in 1992.

The pandemic had been a new challenge for the elderly couple but they felt fortunate to be living in the UAE, where health authorities and the government have been managing the situation well.

“The vaccination programme is a well-organised one. We strongly recommend people to take the vaccine. The government is doing so much for us. So, it’s our duty to ensure that we are safe and others too,” the couple said as their grandchildren held their vaccination files. The couple are due for their second dose on January 25.

Like Kalidas and Mradulla, there had been several residents who were initially hesitant but had taken the jab in the past couple of days. Since the new year started, most hospitals and health centres have been witnessing an increasing number of residents who come in for the vaccine.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com



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