PM Narendra Modi should take COVID-19 vaccine first, says RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav

PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav has now demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should lead and take the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine before it is administered to ordinary people.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take first shot of Covid-19 vaccine, then, we will also take it,” the RJD leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take first shot of COVID19 vaccine, then, we will also take it: RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav pic.twitter.com/YuUomjLqCQ — ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2021

The RJD leader’s comments come in the backdrop of growing demands from the Opposition lawmakers that the top government figures, including the Prime Minister, should take the COVID-19 vaccine first to dispel fears regarding the vaccine.

It may be noted that several opposition lawmakers have strongly disapproved the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccines. The comments from the RJD leader came three days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the state government was all prepared for administering Covid 19 vaccinations across the state.

On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar said, “We are prepared for administering vaccination in Bihar," and spelt out the priority list for the vaccination drive. “The vaccination will be done in accordance with the Centres guidelines and priority will be given to those who are more than 50 years of age or are involved in professions like health care, frontline workers, priority age groups, public representatives, all people engaged in government works, contract workers, shopkeepers, traders and all vulnerable groups, etc.," the CM had said.

It may be noted that Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday said that in the next few days, the government will be able to provide the COVID-19 vaccines to the countrymen as the second dry run for the mass vaccination began in 736 districts across 33 States/UTs.

The Health Minister said this after his visit to the session site in Government General Hospital in Chennai to review the second dry run for coronavirus vaccination. "In a short time, India has done well by developing vaccines... In the next few days, in the near future, we should be able to give these vaccines to our countrymen. It will be given to our healthcare professional followed by frontline workers," the Minister said.

He added that the government has ensured that every detail regarding vaccination is conveyed to the people from the national level to the grassroots level."Lakhs of healthcare workers are being trained through these dry runs, and the process to train more is still going on," Dr Vardhan stated.

The Minister is on a visit to Tamil Nadu to oversee the dry run drill for vaccination. He is scheduled to visit Session Site at government Omandurar hospital in Chennai, vaccination centre at Apollo hospital in Chennai, and vaccination centre in Chengalpattu, Chennai.

The second nationwide mock drill on the COVID-19 vaccination is being held at three-session sites of 736 districts across 33 States/UTs today. The dry run is aimed at testing the laid out mechanisms for COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in the health system and to assess operational feasibility of using Co-WIN application in a field environment for planning, implementation, and reporting at the block, district, and state level.

According to the Health Ministry, the objective of the mock drill on COVID-19 vaccination is to simulate the actual vaccine administration event. On Thursday, Dr Harsh Vardhan had directed all States/Union Territories to be vigilant against rumours and disinformation campaigns regarding the safety and efficacy of the approved COVID-19 vaccines.