NEW DELHI: India is in the endgame of COVID-19 pandemic for which politics should be kept out of the vaccination drive, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday. “My request to everyone is that just like people embraced ‘Jan Andolan for COVID-19 appropriate behaviour’, they should embrace Jan Andolan for COVID-19 vaccination and get all COVID-19 vaccine shots whenever they are eligible,” he said at the Delhi Medical Association’s 62nd Annual Delhi State Medical Conference (MEDICON 2021).
“The government has already involved private players in Covid-19 vaccination, and if hospitals want, they can conduct vaccination 24x7.” “We are in the end game of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, and to succeed at this stage, we need to follow 3 steps: Keep politics out of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, trust the science behind COVID-19 vaccines, and ensure our near and dear ones get vaccinated on time,” he asserted.
Over two crore Covid vaccine shots have been administered so far and the vaccination rate has been increased to 15 lakhs per day, he said. “Unlike most other countries, we have a steady supply of COVID-19 vaccines that are safe with proven immunogenicity and efficacy. Based on the initial results, these Made in India vaccines have shown some of the lowest Adverse Events Following immunization (AEFI) anywhere in the world,” he said.
The pandemic gave the opportunity that all of us come together and put India before ourselves, he said. “Healthcare Workers and drontline Workers across India, rose to the occasion and sacrificed not only their time with family, but also their own mental, physical and emotional health for this nation.” At a time of global crisis, India has emerged as an example to the world in international cooperation under the PM, the health minister added.