Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged countrymen to shed vaccine hesitance and get inoculated in large numbers. Speaking during his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi said he had been fully vaccinated and also cited the example of his nonagenarian mother, underscoring that vaccines are safe.

He said, "A year ago, the question that was confronting all was – When will the vaccine come! Today, in a day, we are administering the Made in India vaccine to lakhs of people, free of cost…and this indeed is the strength of New India."

Urging all to get vaccinated, Modi said: "At many places, in order to end vaccine hesitancy, myriad organizations and members of civil society have come forward…and together, they are doing a wonderful job."

He also requested citizens to not fall prey to rumours about vaccines, IBNS said. 

"Those who are spreading rumours on vaccines, let them be. We all will do our work and ensure people around us get vaccinated. The threat of Covid remains and we have to focus on vaccination as well as follow COVID-19 protocols," said Modi.

Although the pace of vaccination has definitely picked up, even while the second wave of Covid is on the wane, only 5 per cent of the country of  over1.3 billion people has been completely vaccinated so far. 

Modi on Saturday chaired a meeting on the vaccination drive amid the fears of a third wave of infection as cases of Delta Plus variant of the virus are being reported.

During the meeting the officials apprised the PM about the vaccine supply in the upcoming months and efforts being made to increase production, the statement informed.

"PM was informed that 3.77 crore (37.7 million) doses have been administered in the last six days which is more than the entire population of countries like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Canada," the statement from his office said.

"PM spoke about the need to involve NGOs and other organisations in such efforts," it added.

Modi said that efforts should be made to help all countries, who have expressed interest, with India’s rich tech expertise in the form of the Cowin platform.

So far, 50 cases of Delta Plus variant have been reported, which is a fresh worry for the government. The Delta Plus variant, which is also highly transmissible, was first detected earlier this week in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala and was later traced in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

A day before, the health ministry urged the eight states and union territories to impose immediate containment measures such as preventing crowds, conducting widespread tests as a proactive step to stop the spread of the new variant. (SAM)