PM: Discipline and individual alertness our big strength

Modi counts on the masses to fight Omicron, says India has done ‘unprecedented’ work on vaccination

Amid rising Covid cases linked to Omicron, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said individual alertness and discipline are a big strength of the country in the fight against the new variant of Coronavirus.

In his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said India has done “unprecedented” work in its inoculation drive if its vaccination numbers are compared with global figures. He, however, also asked people to maintain caution against the new variant of the virus.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses BJP supporters, in Kasganj on Sunday. Pic/ANI

“This new Omicron variant is being constantly reviewed by our scientists. Every day they are getting new data and steps are being taken based on their suggestions,” Modi said. Individual alertness and discipline are a “big strength” of the country in the fight against the new variant of coronavirus, he said.

Our experience of the last two years is that our own effort as a citizen is very important to defeat this global pandemic, he added. “It is our collective strength which will defeat corona. We have to enter 2022 with this sense of responsibility,” he said. “Crossing the 140 million vaccine doses is an achievement of each and every Indian. This shows the trust of every Indian in the system; shows trust in science and in scientists; and is also a testament to the willpower of we Indians who are fulfilling our responsibilities towards the society.”

A beneficiary gets a vaccine dose at Khunti of Jharkhand on Dec 24. Pic/ANI

Call on vax for kids unscientific: Expert

An AIIMS epidemiologist who is the principal investigator of Covaxin trials for adults and children at the institute has termed the decision to vaccinate children “unscientific” and said it will not yield any additional benefit. Dr Sanjay K Rai said before implementing the decision, data from countries that have already started vaccinating children should be analysed.

Vaccination underway, in Barmer district of Rajasthan. Pic/ANI

‘NTAGI working on gap for the Covid booster shot’

The gap between the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine and the third, which is being called a “precaution dose”, is likely to be nine to 12 months, official sources said on Sunday. The nitty-gritty of the gaps for the vaccines currently being used in India’s inoculation programme—Covishield and Covaxin—is being worked out, and a final decision over this will be taken soon, they said.

A Delhi market on Xmas. Pic/ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address to the nation on Saturday night, announced that vaccination against Covid-19 for children between 15-18 years will start from January 3, while “precaution dose” for healthcare and frontline workers would be administered from January 10. The decisions came amid rising Covid cases linked to the Omicron variant of the virus. The precaution dose denotes a third dose of the vaccine for the fully vaccinated but Modi refrained from using the term “booster dose”, as it is generally referred to.

“The gap between the second and the precautionary dose of Covid vaccine is likely to be nine to 12 months with the immunisation division and the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation [NTAGI] discussing on these lines,” a source said. Over 61 per cent of India’s adult population has received both doses of the vaccine. Similarly, about 90 per cent of the adult population has received the first dose.

3,47,86,802
Total no. of Coronavirus cases in India so far

4,79,682
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far

76,766
Total no. of active cases in India

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