Don’t send Covaxin till trials are complete, Chhattisgarh minister tells Centre

Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singhdeo said the state government is not in position to tell the people to use Covaxin because the trials are incomplete

Published on: Feb 9, 2021, 21:41:39 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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The Chhattisgarh government has written to the Centre urging it not to send Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for the state till it completes the phase three trials against Covid-19 and the results are made public.

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singhdeo highlighted the steps taken by his government to check the spread of coronavirus disease Covid-19. (Twitter/TS_SinghDeo)

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singhdeo said that this was the second letter he had written to Union home minister Amit Shah in the last one month and accused the Centre of trying to force Covaxin on the state government.

“I have urged the Centre not to send the Covaxin doses till the phase three trials of the vaccine are complete and the data of the trial has been processed,” Singhdeo said.

“They are trying to force Covaxin on us …First, the vaccine is not a compulsory programme.. It is an optional programme in any case. Secondly, the first time Centre sent the Covishield vaccine, which was absolutely fine but subsequently it sent some Covaxin along with Covishield after which I sent a letter opposing it but the Centre again sent another installment of Covaxin. Hence I sent a letter again a few days ago,” the minister said.

Claiming that the government is not in position to tell the people of Chhattisgarh to use the vaccine because the trials have not been completed yet, Singhdeo said , “Covaxin is not being given freely and given only after each individual fills a form .. When you are taking Covishield vaccine the government has not prescribed any form to be filled. This clearly indicates that phase three trials are not complete.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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