‘How can I trust BJP’s vaccine?’ Akhilesh Yadav says won’t take Covid shot

Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has said that he would not take the Covid vaccine shot approved by Indian government's expert panel, calling it a "vaccine of the BJP".

"I will not take the COVID-19 vaccine at this moment. That too given by Bharatiya Janata Party. How can I trust BJP`s vaccine, not a chance When our government will be formed, everyone will get a free vaccine. We cannot take the BJP vaccine," said Akhilesh Yadav during a press conference here.

Further cornering the Centre over dry run which is being taken across all states and Union Territories, Yadav said, "What is the need for dry dun in the country. This government was eliminating coronavirus by clapping hands and beating utensils. What is the need for such a large cold chain? What is the need for the vaccine?"SP chief`s statement comes after Dr Shekhar Mande, Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and would not have adverse effects and urged people not to hesitate to take it.

"I want to assure everyone that the vaccine is very safe. It has cleared all safety trials and there are no adverse effects. People should not hesitate in taking the vaccine," Mande said.

Mande also said, "If Dr Harsh Vardhan said the dry run was a success in four states, which is the most authentic voice of the government. This is a very good development and should set the country on track for vaccination as soon as approval is granted."

According to the Union Health Ministry, the objective of the dry run is to "assess operational feasibility in the use of COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) application in a field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide the way forward prior to actual implementation". 

(With inputs from agencies)