CJI Chandrachud recalls how PM Modi, AYUSH helped him deal with COVID-19

CJI Chandrachud said, “I took medicine from AYUSH when I was down with Covid. The second and third time when I had Covid, I didn't take any allopathic medicine at all.”

Moneycontrol News

February 22, 2024 / 21:28 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud during the 75th year celebrations of the Supreme Court of India, in New Delhi, on January 28. (PTI)

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on February 22 launched the AYUSH Holistic Wellness Centre inside the Supreme Court premises. During the inauguration, he spoke about his personal experience with AYUSH treatments and how they helped him overcome his fight with COVID-19.

Expressing concern for the Supreme Court staff's well-being, CJI Chandrachud emphasised extending holistic healthcare beyond the judiciary. He stated, "I want them to have a holistic pattern of life," highlighting his commitment to comprehensive wellness for all.

“I have been associated with AYUSH since Covid broke out,” he said, adding, “I took medicine from AYUSH when I was down with Covid. The second and third time when I had Covid, I didn't take any allopathic medicine at all.”

CJI Chandrachud also talked about how Prime Minister Narendra Modi aided him in gaining access to AYUSH treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. He said, “The Prime Minister called me when I was down with Covid and arranged for a consultation with an AYUSH vaidya. I took the medicine and did not require allopathic treatment in subsequent Covid infections.”

"I underwent Panchakarma about a year ago, and I am looking forward to doing it again now, as it is the turn of the season,” he added.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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