We ensured VIP culture does not overshadow COVID vaccination programme: Modi

"Taking everyone along, the country started the campaign of 'Vaccine-Free Vaccine for Everyone'. Poor-rich, village-city, the country has only one mantra that if the disease does not discriminate

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Central government ensured that VIP culture does not overshadow India’s COVID-19 vaccination programme and that everyone was treated equally.

Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said, “We ensured that VIP culture does not overshadow our vaccination program and everyone is treated equally.” PM Modi said that India’s vaccine campaign is a living example of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Praya”.

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“Taking everyone along, the country started the campaign of ‘Vaccine-Free Vaccine for Everyone’. Poor-rich, village-city, the country has only one mantra that if the disease does not discriminate, then there cannot be any discrimination in the vaccine. Therefore it was ensured that the VIP culture does not dominate the vaccination campaign,” he said.

On October 21, India has achieved the difficult but extraordinary target of 1 billion, 100 crore vaccine doses.

Meanwhile, more than 100.59 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

From February 2, front line workers were made eligible for vaccination. These included State and Central Police personnel, Armed Force Personnel, Home Guards, Civil Defence and Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal workers, Prison Staff, PRI Staff and Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance, Railway Protection Force and election Staff.

The vaccination drive was expanded from March 1 to include persons above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified 20 comorbidities. It was further expanded to all people above 45 years of age from April 1. From May 1, all persons above 18 years of age were made eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.