Vaccine nationalism need of hour: AAP

New Delhi, April 11

Terming vaccine universalisation and vaccine nationalism the need of the hour, AAP leader Raghav Chadha wrote to PM Narendra Modi, saying there must be a strict ‘India-first’ rule as citizens’ needs must be given priority over exports to other countries.

Pointing out that the Centre had chosen to export over 64 million doses to 84 countries when Indian citizens were desperately looking for a vaccination centre that was still open, he wrote: “I wish to ask Government of India as to what its priority is — the people of Delhi or of Dominican Republic? The people of Maharashtra or of Mauritius? The people of Bengal or Bangladesh?”

He urged the government to prioritise vaccinating the 135 crore people in India before earning trivial international laurels. — PTI

No supply, 900 vax sites in Odisha shut

• On Sunday when ‘Tika Utsav’, a special inoculation drive against coronavirus was launched across the country, at least 900 session sites in Odisha remained shut owing to shortage of vaccines, triggering a blame game between the ruling BJD and the BJP.
• Director of Family Welfare Bijay Panigrahi said the inoculation programme might have to be stopped at several places on Monday, if fresh vaccine stock did not arrive.