Pune, Jan 16 (PTI) As many as 60 healthcare workers were administered COVID-19 vaccine at Aundh rural district hospital, one of the 31 vaccination centres in Maharashtra's Pune district on Saturday, an official said.

According to the district administration, none of the beneficiaries, including doctors, nurses and other staff, experienced any side effects to Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech.

While at least 100 healthcare workers were expected to receive the jab, 40 did not turn up for vaccination due to various reasons, Pune district civil surgeon Dr Ashok Nandapurkar said.

"Till the end of the day, 60 healthcare workers were given Covaxin and all of them are keeping well and no side effects have been reported," he said, adding that absentees will be covered in subsequent sessions.

Beneficiaries have been given a form to mention any side effects to the vaccine for seven days, the official said.

In the meantime, if beneficiaries experience any complications, they can call the hospital, he added.

Beneficiaries had to sign a screening and consent form before administration of the vaccine, which states that a compensation for serious adverse event will be paid by sponsor (BBIL) in case if the SAE is proven to be casually related to the vaccine.

Bharti Kale, a 45-year-old nurse, was among the 60 healthcare workers who were administered the vaccine.

"I have taken the vaccine and so far, there has been no side effect. Beneficiaries were kept under observation for some time after taking the vaccine," she added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)