Vaccination against Covid-19 should become pan-India 'Jan Andolan': VP Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday urged the scientific fraternity to focus on expediting development of Covid-19 vaccine for children. He stressed that protecting them from the virus should be accorded priority. Naidu emphasised that the vaccination drive against Covid-19 should become a pan-India 'Jan Andolan' and appealed to people to immunise themselves by taking the required doses of the vaccine.

Addressing scientists and staff of the Bharat Biotech International Ltd after a visit to its plant at Genome Valley, here, he said, "There is no room for vaccine hesitancy." Urging everyone to get vaccinated, he said, "There is no other more powerful way to protect ourselves and people around us."

Naidu commended the development of a nasal vaccine as an important initiative. "It can reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve the ease of administering", he observed. Asserting that advantages of vaccination far outweigh the perceived drawbacks, Naidu said "This message should be driven home loud and clear to every nook and corner of the country. It is now clear that vaccination is preventing hospitalisation and severe disease when infected".

The VP advised the media to educate the masses on the gains of vaccination. He urged leaders from the medical fraternity to educate people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, along with shedding vaccine hesitancy.

Cautioning people against becoming complacent by the temporary decline in Covid cases, he said, "Let us be responsible citizens and not behave in a careless manner by violating Covid protocols". He appealed to people to continue with masking, physical distancing and personal hygiene.

The VP also urged leaders of various political parties and their followers to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. "It is the duty of each one of us to act responsibly. We cannot afford to invite the third wave," he warned.

Observing that the constantly mutating virus poses unforeseen challenges and forces us to find solutions that will save lives and protect livelihoods, Naidu said, "We have to individually and collectively contribute to this national and international effort". He said that the vaccine supplies must be stepped up rapidly and must be administered to all as quickly as possible.

He expressed confidence that the immunisation drive would pick up pace in the months ahead and said that the government intends to vaccinate all eligible adults by the year-end.

Lauding the scientists at Bharat Biotech for developing an effective vaccine in a very short time frame, he said, "I compliment each one of you on this outstanding work. I appreciate the optimism and dynamism that Dr. Krishna Ella and Dr. Suchitra Ella have brought to this organisation," he added.

He said that it was heartening that one of the recently sanctioned Central drug laboratories has been located in Hyderabad. Appreciating the encouragement provided by the State government which proposed the project, he said, "To which I had lent my ready support".

Stressing the need to quickly ramp up our ecosystem support and health infrastructure, he expressed happiness that the Union government, the State governments and the private sector have prioritised this critical need and initiated collaborative action.

The VP, who went around the BBL facilities, complimented the company for contributing, significantly towards immunisation programmes in the country and around the world.

State Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Dr Krishna Ella, Suchitra Ella, whole-time director, Dr V Krishna Mohan and heads of various divisions attended the programme.