COVID-19 Vaccination | All Indians will be vaccinated by December 2021, says Union Minister Prakash Javadekar

New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar

All Indians will be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus by December 2021, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has said in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s questions about India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, News18 reported on May 28.

Rahul Ji [Gandhi] you must understand that you were the one who protested against the vaccine. After looking at your [Rahul Gandhi] today's comment, it has become clear that the toolkit was prepared by you: Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister. pic.twitter.com/n4ApmhC5Dz

— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 28, 2021

The health ministry has given a roadmap for producing 216 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine by then, the minister said at a press conference.

“India’s vaccination program is robust; by December we will be able to vaccinate over 100 crore Indians. Rahul Gandhi should focus on what is happening in Congress-ruled states,” the minister said.

Speaking to media earlier in the day, the former Congress president said that India would be hit by multiple COVID waves if the government fails to get its vaccine strategy right.

"At first the Congress party did not trust the vaccine; some even dubbed it the BJP vaccine. You were responsible for spreading confusion about the coronavirus vaccine.”

Attacking Gandhi for saying that all Indians would get vaccinated by 2024, the minister said, “We say that everyone will get vaccinated by the end of this year.”

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has also said India will be able to vaccinate at least its entire adult population by the end of 2021.

The Congress leader had also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi an “event manager”. News agency ANI had quoted Gandhi as saying: “The problem is that there is no vaccination strategy. The Prime Minister does not think strategically. He is an event manager; he thinks one event at a time.”

Lashing out at Gandhi for trying to “stoke fears on COVID-19”, Javadekar said it confirmed that the Congress was behind the toolkit.

With agency inputs