KCR wants local reassessment of Centre-approved Covid-19 vaccine before mass administration

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao wants a regional reassessment of the efficacy of the Narendra Modi government finalised Covid-19 vaccine before it can be administered on a mass scale.

On Tuesday, Rao participated in the video conference Prime Minister Modi held with the chief ministers to discuss a roadmap for a possible vaccine distribution eventually.

CM Rao stated that people are eagerly waiting and that his government is readying an action plan to distribute, administer the vaccine on a priority basis.

“However, one has to examine if the vaccine has any side effects? There are different weather and climatic conditions in the country and the Covid-19 virus also did not affect the country in a uniform manner,” the CM told Modi.

According to a CMO release, Rao has expressed concern that “the vaccine too may give different side effects in different regions.”

“Hence, initially send a batch of vaccine doses to the states, to be applied on some people. Let us assess the situation and then (based on favorable results) administer it on the rest,” the CM said adding that “a scientifically approved vaccine is the need of the hour.”

A senior health official refused to comment on the CM's views expressed before the PM.

The PM's meeting with CMs was held in the wake of reports that the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Russia's Sputnik-V, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines under trial have shown a very high success rate against Covid-19. India's indigenously developed vaccine candidate Covaxin is also said to be showing positive results.

After the conference, Rao instructed officials to prepare an action plan to administer the achievable vaccine in the state and create the required infrastructure facilities like the cold chain for vaccine transport, storage.

The vaccine should be given first to the Covid-19 warriors and front line workers like the Police, people above 60 years of age, and those suffering from acute diseases. A list of such individuals should be prepared, the CM directed.

Rao said that committees should be formed at the state, district, and mandal level to conduct the vaccination programme.