Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is voluntary, says Centre
With a lot of noise surrounding coronavirus vaccines, the government of India said getting inoculated is voluntary, implying that citizens can choose to not get the doses. The Health Ministry, however, added that it is important to complete the entire dose, the past experience with the fatal disease, notwithstanding. It also assured that the vaccine that will be eventually approved will be efficient.
Government never said taking the shot is compulsory: Senior official
A senior person in the know told HT that the government never said being a part of the vaccination program will be mandatory. "It is absolutely on a voluntary basis even for the population group. However, the government is ensuring that whatever choice people make is informed, which is why a lot of effort is being directed toward awareness generation," the person said.
A vaccine will be launched soon, assured the Centre
The Indian government is hoping that a large chunk of the 1.35 billion population will be inoculated in over a year. "The government of India is geared to launch a vaccine for COVID-19 soon," the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Ministry tried assuring about safety of the vaccine
Currently, six vaccines are undergoing clinical trials in the country and the Centre is considering three candidates, including the ones developed by AstraZeneca and Pfizer, for emergency authorization. Naturally, there are concerns about the vaccine's safety, considering it is being approved in such a short span of time. Addressing them, the ministry said it will be introduced after approvals from regulatory bodies.
Even those taking medicines for cancer can get doses
The ministry also revealed that states have been asked to prepare for the massive program and be ready for any vaccination-related complications. It clarified those taking medicines for diseases like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc., can also get the doses as they are in the high-risk category. The ministry added selected priority groups will be vaccinated first, as was the plan all along.
For registration, beneficiaries will be asked to furnish IDs
Furthermore, the ministry informed eligible beneficiaries will get a message, containing details of the health facility where they will be inoculated and timings, on their registered mobile numbers. This will ensure the beneficiaries face no inconvenience. At the time of registration, they will be asked to furnish IDs like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Driving license, passbooks issued by Bank/Post Office, etc.
