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BJP to drive awareness campaign to clear doubts over indigenous Covid vaccines
The BJP’s awareness campaign assumes significance in the wake of Opposition leaders questioning the vaccine efficacy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party will undertake a countrywide campaign to create awareness about the coronavirus vaccines, developed indigenously, to combat ‘misconceptions and fears’ about their efficacy, said persons aware of the developments.
A decision will also be taken on whether senior party leaders, including ministers, will volunteer for the vaccination drive as a confidence building measure, even as a few have shown willingness to participate in the third phase of trial for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, said a party functionary on condition of anonymity.
India’s drugs regulator has approved Serum Institute manufactured Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for restricted emergency use in the country.
A second senior party leader said, just as the party organises outreach programmes to create awareness about centre’s policies and programmes and social welfare schemes, it will undertake a similar programme for the vaccines.
“There will be groups of party workers who will make contact with people across the country and dispel concerns such as possible side effects from the vaccines. The opposition parties have already politicised the issue and raised doubts about some vaccines (Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin). We will see to it that these doubts are cleared,” said a party functionary.
The details of the outreach programme, including the schedule for leaders, will be drawn up soon.
“Whether senior leaders including ministers will take the shot has not been firmed up so far. The protocol for administering the vaccine--for those in the high-risk category-- will be followed. Some leaders such as (spokesperson) RP Singh have volunteered to be part of the third-phase trials of Covaxin,” said the second functionary.
The BJP’s awareness campaign assumes significance in the wake of Opposition leaders questioning the vaccine efficacy. On Friday, RJD leader and former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take the lead and take the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine, following which others will also get it.
Earlier, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav stoked a controversy by saying he would not take the ‘BJP vaccine’, and that the ‘BJP (members) should get vaccinated first’. Some Congress leaders have also raised questions over the approval process for Bharat Biotech’s vaccine, alleging the due process of trials and making the data public had not been followed.
Responding to these allegations, BJP chief J P Nadda had tweeted that these were ‘wild theories’ to ridicule India’s achievements.
“Time and again, we have seen, whenever India achieves something commendable - that will further public good - the Congress comes up with wild theories to oppose and ridicule the accomplishments. The more they oppose, the more they are exposed. Latest example is the Covid vaccine,” Nadda tweeted last week.
