Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan displays a Covishield vaccine vial, after the virtual launch of COVID-19 vaccination drive by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at AIIMS in New Delhi.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked his counterparts in states and union territories to keep a check on rumours and disinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines as he held a review meeting on day one of the inoculation drive on Saturday.
According to a statement, Vardhan congratulated authorities in states and UTs on the successful launch of the world's largest vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus and asked state health ministers to make efforts to disseminate the right information regarding vaccines. He said today is a very important day for the country.
The vaccination drive, for which preparations were being done from the last five months under the unwavering and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has finally started, he said.
"We have got encouraging and satisfactory feedback results on the first day. This indicates that we are moving towards victory in the fight against coronavirus," he said.
Restating his appreciation and support to the tireless work of the healthcare and frontline workers, Vardhan said India has achieved significant progress on the COVID containment front.
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"The cooperation of scientists, researchers, doctors and all the citizens who have volunteered for the clinical trial have ensured that we have two vaccines ready for administration in a span of 10 months,” he said.
"There's a small section that is spreading rumours about vaccines, their utility, their safety, to mislead the people in society. But such a large number of people received vaccines today with great joy & enthusiasm, eminent doctors received the vaccine," he said.
Harsh Vardhan while responding to why ministers, people representatives were taking the shots, said, "A debate has started that why are Health Ministers or people's representatives not taking vaccine. I was asked that why am I not taking vaccine? I told them that I'll wait for my turn, which will come when people above 50 yrs of age will be administered vaccine."
The state health ministers and secretaries apprised Vardhan on the progress and the target achieved on the first day of the vaccination drive. They also shared that workers faced minor technical glitches in uploading details of beneficiaries on a digital platform on the first day of the drive.
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