Even as the dry-run for COVID-19 vaccine started at 285 sites in 125 districts of the country on Saturday former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday refused to get vaccinated and that too by the BJP.
“Mein to nahin lagwaon ga. Wah bhi BJP ki vaccine jis par bharosa nahin hai. Mein ne apni baat kar li.” (I am not going to be vaccinated and that too the vaccine of the BJP which I don’t trust. I have given my view), he said.
Akhilesh is not an old brand of traditional politician but a foreign educated engineer yet he said that he does not have trust in the vaccine of the BJP. However, he added that when his government would come to power he would get all the people of the state vaccinated free of cost.
His statement evoked sharp reaction from the BJP. The deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prasad Maurya, while reacting to his comment, said that Akhilesh should publicly apologise as he had insulted all the doctors and experts who are involved in its research. The deputy chief minister said that the Samajwadi Party leader has even let down the country by such a statement.
Akhilesh’s statement and that too so publicly has certainly created doubts in many minds in India. Earlier too many health experts both in India and the West have raised questions over the hastiness shown in undertaking a vaccination campaign. To dispel this fear US President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu etc. have publicly taken the vaccine. However, in India till now no prominent politician has till now volunteered to get vaccinated.
Union health minister Dr. Harshvardhan appealed to the people on Saturday not to be mis-guided by false propaganda about the vaccine.
