Over Six COVID-19 Vaccines In Offing In India: Harsh Vardhan

Bhopal: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday (March 13) announced that more than six coronavirus vaccines will come up in India. He also said that 1.84 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered till Saturday morning, while 23 crore tests have been conducted. The latest figures from the Health ministry say that 2.91crore people had been vaccinated till 7 PM on Saturday. “India has developed two vaccines, which have been given to 71 countries. Many more nations are seeking the vaccines, and these are not little-known nations…Canada, Brazil and other developed countries are using Indian vaccines with great zeal,” he said.

Also Read: WHO Grants Emergency Use Authorization To Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

More than half a dozen vaccines are going to come up, he said. Mr. Vardhan added,

Till Saturday morning, 1.84 crore vaccine shots have been given in the country and 20 lakh people were inoculated yesterday, the minister added.

He was speaking while inaugurating the new green campus of the National Institute of Research in Environmental Health near here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to create a new India to turn it into a ‘vishwa guru’ (world leader).

Respect science. There is a need to end politics over it (vaccine) given that it is a scientific fight not apolitical one. That is why we should work unitedly, Mr. Vardhan said.

The efforts of our scientists are praiseworthy as due to their labour we have achieved all this. Year 2020, apart from being a COVID-19 year, will be remembered as the year of science and scientists, he added. He said that initially there was only one laboratory in India for COVID-19 testing. “But we have 2,412 testing facilities now,” he added.

We were the first in the world to isolate the coronavirus. We isolated its mutation. And our scientists helped the ICMR in vaccine. People have praised it (vaccine). Some people tried to create confusion, but truth is unbeatable, he said.

Talking about the rising infection cases, the minister said this “disturbing trend” was due to the carelessness and misunderstanding.

“People think that as the vaccine has come and all is well now,” he said, while urging them to follow the COVID-19rules for protection against the virus.

Also Read: Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines May Greatly Reduce Risk Of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection, Study Says

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.