NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked the citizens of the country to demand free COVID-19 vaccination.In a tweet, the Congress leader said, “Vaccines are the strongest shield to protect us against the Covid-19 pandemic. You all should also raise your voice for free vaccination of all citizens and wake up the Central government! #SpeakUpForFreeUniversalVaccination.”Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also voiced her concerns about the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country.In her tweet, she said, “We are one of the biggest vaccine manufacturers in the world. Yet only 3.4 percent of our population is fully vaccinated. Who is responsible for India’s confused and dithering vaccination program? #SpeakUpForFreeUniversalVaccination”India commenced its first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16 this year. In the first phase, healthcare workers and frontline workers were inoculated.As per the Union Health Ministry, the cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 21.85 crore today under the nationwide vaccination drive. A total of 21,85,46,667 vaccine doses have been administered through 30,91,543 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today.On May 28, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said that India will vaccinate all its people against Covid-19 by December 2021 and slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly doing politics over vaccines.His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi pointed out earlier in May that only three per cent of the country’s population have been vaccinated since the vaccination drive began on January 16.”The Union Health Ministry last week explained the framework of the administration of 216 crore COVID vaccine doses by December 2021. It means 108 crore people will be vaccinated. It clearly mentioned the vaccines like Covaxin, Covishied, Zydus Cadila, Sputnik V and others for the purpose. So people should understand the immunization against COVID in India will be completed before December 2021,” Javadekar had said.
