New Delhi: Taking a dig at those who are spreading rumours about the safety and efficacy two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon people not to heed to ‘false’ propaganda over the vaccines.

Launching the world’s largest vaccination drive online at over 3,000 session sites across the country, Modi said today’s vaccination drive is covering the entire country. The drive is aimed to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of first phase. A total of 3,006 session sites across all States and Union Territories were virtually connected. Around 100 beneficiaries were being vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day.

The PM said such a vaccination drive at such a massive scale was never conducted in history. There were over 100 countries having less than 3 crore population and India was administering vaccination to 3 crore people in first phase only. 

In second phase, they have to take this number to 30 crore and only three countries in the world have this number of population — India, China and United States of America. 

Two shots manufactured in India, one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and the other by Bharat Biotech, are being injected.

Asking people to be vigil against false propaganda against the vaccine, the PM stressed that people should not fall for propaganda over vaccines. “The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval after they were satisfied with the data of the two vaccines. So stay away from rumours.  Our vaccine developers have a global credibility. Life-saving vaccines given to 60 percent children globally are made in India. Indian vaccines were cheaper compared to the other global vaccines, which required stringent conditions for storage. Our vaccines are developed in a way keeping in mind the conditions of the country. They will give decisive victory to our country,” the PM said.

Recalling difficulties faced by citizens for many months, Modi said this disease kept people away from their families. The mothers cried for their children and had to stay away. People could not meet their elderly admitted at hospitals. Many could not bid adieu to those who died due to Corona with proper rituals. The Government of India operated special flights to evacuate Indians living in China when the pandemic became serious, he said.

“Our big salute to scientists and researchers who worked day and night, skipped festivals and stayed away from families for many months to come out with the magical drug to banish the contagion. Usually it will take years to come out with one vaccine but this vaccine was released within 10 months due to hard work of the scientists,” PM Modi noted.