Allow walk-in Covid jabs, online registration not enough: Rahul Gandhi to Centre

On Wednesday, the government had announced that many rectification features had been introduced to the Co-WIN registration portal using which beneficiaries could now correct their name, year of birth, and gender on vaccination certificates and also raise an issue

A day after the Union government claimed to have made the Covid-19 vaccine registration portal, Co-WIN, more “citizen friendly”, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that online registration for vaccination was not enough. He advocated that everyone who wished to get vaccinated be given a jab on walk-in basis at vaccination centres.

Representational image. (HT Photo)

Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, “Online registration for vaccination is not enough. Everyone walking in to a vaccination centre should get the vaccine. Right to life belongs to those as well who do not have the internet.”

On Wednesday, the government had announced that many rectification features had been introduced to the Co-WIN registration portal using which beneficiaries could now correct their name, year of birth, and gender on vaccination certificates and also raise an issue.

“New citizen friendly feature on #CoWIN. Now correct the errors in the vaccination certificate yourself,” Vikas Sheel, additional secretary, Union ministry of health and family welfare had tweeted.

Meanwhile, Gandhi has long been advocating free universal vaccination.

On Monday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Central procurement of vaccines and free vaccination for all adults, Gandhi asked why people were having to pay for vaccine jabs at private hospitals.

“One simple question - If vaccines are free for all, why should private hospitals charge for them?” Gandhi had tweeted.

On June 2, Gandhi had also initiated a social media campaign urging people to raise their voice to “awaken the government”.

Using the hashtag #SpeakUpForFreeUniversalVaccination, Gandhi had tweeted, “Vaccine is the strongest protection against Covid pandemic. You also raise your voice to provide free vaccination to everyone and to wake the government.”

A Union health ministry official familiar with Gandhi’s statement said it was political and as a government official, it was not feasible for him to react.

HT also reached out health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal for a comment, but there was no immediate response from the official.