Coronavirus: Harsh Vardhan criticises Rahul Gandhi for questioning vaccine shortage

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for raising questions on the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in the country.

Hours after Gandhi said that the country was still facing a shortage of doses, the health minister cited his explanation from Thursday. Gandhi had said in a tweet that the month of July had arrived but the vaccines had not.

Several states have reported Covid-19 vaccine shortages in the last few months. The Odisha government had to pause the vaccination drive in 16 districts on Thursday.

In Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was able to vaccinate only 16.63 lakh beneficiaries in the last 10 days due to the shortage of doses. This was almost 45% less than Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s target of inoculating 30 lakh people.

Mumbai’s civic body also suspended vaccinations at 300 centres on Thursday due to the shortage of stock. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation also said that doses will be administered for only three hours on Friday.

To Gandhi’s tweet, Vardhan said that he had already given a statement about the vaccine availability in July on Thursday.

“Does he [Gandhi] not read?” the health minister tweeted. “Does he not understand? There is no vaccine for the virus of arrogance and ignorance!! Congress…

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