Vaccine sceptics like Rajiv Bajaj and Akhilesh Yadav spread misinformation and falsehood about vaccines earlier. They should be held responsible

The Union government has opened up the vaccination drive for the people below the age of 18 from May 1, and lakhs of people vaccinated on the first day. Before that crores of people above the age of 45 were vaccinated but a large number of people ducked the vaccines because a large number of famous and powerful people promoted skepticism against vaccines which led to hesitancy.

The first and foremost in this ignoble list is obviously Akhilesh Yadav. The leader of Samajwadi Party and former CM of Uttar Pradesh called Bharat Biotech’s vaccine ‘BJP vaccine’ and said that he will not get a jab. “I am not going to get vaccinated for now. How can I trust BJP’s vaccine, when our government will be formed everyone will get free vaccine. We cannot take BJP’s vaccine,” said Akilesh Yadav.

The next on the list is Rajiv Bajaj who is talking nonsense right from the day Coronavirus spread started in India. From raising questions over national lockdown during the first wave to promoting vaccine hesitancy, Bajaj has been involved in this criminal act of spreading misinformation since more than a year.

“Adar Poonawalla is a friend and I admire him for what he is doing.. but between being for or against the vaccine, a middle path – do the risks outweigh the benefits? For someone like me, I believe they do,” said Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto in an interview with Sreenivasan Jain of NDTV.

The Indian government gave emergency approval to vaccines in order to ensure that the vaccination process starts early. But, instead of focusing on vaccination drive, many state government officials were waiting for final trials to happen. The health minister of Chhattisgarh argued that the government should have waited for a few more weeks. “We do not support the use of #COVAXIN in the vaccination process in Chhattisgarh for one simple reason – It is NOT SAFE to use any vaccine unless it has completed the recommended testing process with absolute authentication and success,” said TS Singh Deo, health minister of Chhattisgarh.

“As Indians we are proud of advancement made by @BharatBiotech & congratulate the researchers & scientists. The only issue is when to start the usage. In my opinion we mustn’t rush headlong into starting its widespread use & wait for completion of phase-3 trials & appraisal,” he added. Now the same Chhattisgarh government is cribbing over the lack of availability of vaccines.

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The list of Covididiots also includes names from the ‘know-it-all’ intellectual world. Journalists like Sandeep Chaudhary, Nitin Pai, cartoonist Satish Acharya, activist Prashant Bhushan were among the people who promoted vaccine hesitancy and slowed down the vaccination process. These people have a good name and the media gives them a lot of coverage, therefore, a statement from them means thousands of people who are already hesitant get someone to further back their argument. Then these people avoid vaccines themselves and ask others to do the same. These influential people must be held accountable for promoting vaccine hesitancy in the country that could cost thousands of lives.