Cornered by BJP, Rahul Gandhi finally ends speculation; takes 1st shot of COVID-19 vaccine

After months of suspense regarding the vaccination status of Rahul Gandhi, the ex-Congress president finally got vaccinated on Friday, sources told Republic TV. While the Congress party had taken a lead role in questioning the Centre over the nationwide vaccination strategy, many BJP leaders such as Sambit Patra routinely questioned the former on why its ex-chief had not taken the jab. Though the Sonia Gandhi-led party maintained a studied silence on the same, speculation was rife that the Wayanad MP's inoculation was delayed because he tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 20. 

However, questions arose as to why Gandhi didn't take the vaccine earlier as the Centre had opened up vaccination for all persons aged above 45 from April 1 itself. As per sources, he is suffering from fever after being administered the jab. In June, Congress sources told PTI that party president Sonia Gandhi is fully vaccinated whereas her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took her first shot in May. 

Barely 5 days back, Union MoS MEA and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi blamed ex-Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the slacking COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country. She said, "If he would have given timely information on whether he and his family members have taken the vaccine, so many people would not have died. These people who created doubts in the minds of people are responsible. Besides this, their states slacked in giving vaccines supplied to them (by the Centre) to the people". 

COVID-19 vaccination in India

Apart from Covishield and Covaxin, the Drugs Controller General of India approved Sputnik V and Moderna on April 12 and June 29 respectively. Moreover, the Union government declared that those vaccines that have been granted emergency approval for restricted use by USFDA, EMA, UK MHRA, PMDA Japan, or which are listed in WHO (Emergency Use Listing) will be granted emergency use approval in India. Addressing the nation on June 7, PM Modi rolled back this policy and announced that the Centre will procure 75% of the vaccine stock and distribute it to the states for free from June 21. 

Most importantly, this stock can now be used for all adults and not just those aged above 45. Without giving a specific deadline, the Centre has hinted that all adults might be vaccinated by December 2021. So far, 100.6 crore doses of Covaxin and Covishield have been ordered out of which 42.52 crore doses have been supplied. A total of 35,33,00,570 persons have been inoculated whereas 9,87,49,997 of them have received the second dose of the vaccine too.