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As the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 continues with varying degrees of enthusiasm in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of various States are likely to get the jab in the second phase of vaccination for those over 50 years of age.
Government sources confirmed that Mr. Modi in his video conference with Chief Ministers just before the launch of India’s vaccination drive in January had told the group that politicians should not jump the queue for vaccinations as the first round was for frontline workers in the health and law enforcement sectors.
“In the same vein he had said that politicians would get their turn in the second phase when senior citizens were to be vaccinated,” said a government official. “There is nothing new in the plan that was originally thought up,” added the source.
”The remarks don’t come up with any specific date when the prime minister or chief ministers of various states will be vaccinated,” added the government source.
As the vaccine campaign progresses however, optics of Mr. Modi getting the jab could go a longer way in soothing vaccine sceptics.
In the vaccine campaign since January 16, 7,86,000 beneficiaries have been covered while the number was expected to be double of that. Several reasons are being attributed to the slower offtake with software glitches, adverse events, and uncertainty over the efficacy of the vaccine being among the many reasons.
It is unclear whether the Prime Minister will take the Covishield vaccine or the indigenously developed Covaxin.
Meanwhile, under “vaccine diplomacy” consignments of the medicine have been sent to India’s neighbours such as Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh.
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