Covid-19 vaccination: Centre pushes pedal on reluctance and rumours

A section of our own is fomenting misinformation and doubt for narrow political ends, said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

Vaccination against Covid-19 will lead to people not transmitting the disease and its eradication in some time, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Thursday as he unveiled IEC posters to address the emerging issue of vaccine hesitancy in some sections of the population.

Commenting on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, he said, "The paradox is that countries across the globe are asking us for access to the vaccines, while a section of our own is fomenting misinformation and doubt for narrow political ends." 

“The elimination of polio and small pox was made possible by large-scale immunisation. Once immunised, not only that person is not capable of catching the disease, he or she is also unable to transmit the disease to others, thus passing on the social benefit to the larger society he or she interacts with. The vaccination against Covid will similarly create persons incapable of transmitting the disease and eradicate the disease altogether in some time," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the health ministry.