New Delhi, Mar 2 (IANS): Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan along with his wife Nutan Goel received their first Covid vaccine doses on Tuesday in the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute.

Vardhan and Goel received Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and paid Rs 250 each for the doses.

After receiving the vaccine he appealed that those who can afford the cost of vaccination must go to their nearest private facility to get vaccinated.

He also spoke of vaccine appropriate behaviour where people must adhere to getting vaccinated and help defeat the pandemic.

"After Covid appropriate behaviour, we need to affirm to vaccine appropriate behaviour. We all should come forward and help the society from allaying the menace of Covid-19," he said.

"Vaccine would not just save you from the disease but also your closed ones," Vardhan added.

Vardhan also said that the percentage of post-vaccination effects are just 0.00004 of the total vaccination and one should not be afraid of the minor ones that come depending upon age.

Meanwhile, he also thanked those who got in the queue of registration on the first day of phase three Covid vaccination. "The response was overwhelming and it shows our resolve to defeat the pandemic. I appeal every eligible beneficiary to come forward for the vaccination," he added.

Vaccines are being provided free of charge at the government health facilities and on a payment basis in the private health facilities. All private hospitals can charge Rs 150 for vaccines and Rs 100 for service charges fixed by the Central government.

Around 10,000 hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and 687 hospitals under CGHS can be used by states as Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs).

The phase three of Covid vaccination covering 27 crore of population aged above 60 and those above 45 with comorbidities started from Monday. The previous two phases were started with vaccination of around three crore of healthcare and frontline workers in India.