JOIN USSonia Gandhi asks party leaders to address Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy
Often accused of triggering vaccine hesitancy, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asked party leaders to go all out and ensure full coverage of the Covid-19 vaccination drive.
Addressing party leaders in New Delhi, Gandhi gave Congress the credit for forcing the Modi government to announce expansion of the vaccination drive and asked party workers to work towards overcoming vaccine hesitancy and minimising wastage.
The Congress President’s remarks came at a time when BJP leaders and Union ministers have been accusing the party of creating vaccine hesitancy by raising doubts about efficacy of vaccines, particularly the home-grown Covaxin.
Gandhi also flagged the issue of rising prices of edible oil and pulses in addition to fuel prices at a time when livelihoods have been lost in unprecedented numbers.
“You are all aware of the intolerable burden being imposed by rising fuel prices. Agitations have been organised to highlight how it is hurting farmers and millions of families. But quite apart from fuel, prices of many other essential commodities like pulses and edible oils too have skyrocketed causing wide-spread distress,” she said.
On the Covid-19 front, Gandhi asked leaders to prepare for the possible third wave and take proactive measures so that children were spared this calamity.
Gandhi said party leaders and workers should continue to put pressure on the Union government to ensure that the daily rate of vaccination trebles, so that 75% of the population gets fully vaccinated by the end of this year.
“No doubt, this is dependent entirely on the adequacy of vaccine supply. We must continue to put pressure on the Union government which has, at our party's insistence, finally taken on the responsibility for this. At the same time, we have to ensure that registration takes place, that vaccine hesitancy wherever evident is overcome and vaccine wastage is minimised,” she added.