Covid-19 vaccination: Mayawati urges Centre to make free arrangements for poor

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Soon after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave its nod for the emergency use approval for two indigenous vaccines against COVID-19 on Sunday, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati congratulated the scientists and urged the Centre to provide free vaccination to the poor of the country.

"We welcome the indigenous vaccines against the deadly coronavirus epidemic and many congratulations to the scientists. At the same time, there is a special request to the central government to make free arrangements for these vaccines to poor sections of the society along with all the health workers in the country," she wrote on Twitter.

COVID-19 vaccines of Serum Institue of India and Bharat Biotech have been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situation, said Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday.

"After adequate examination, CDSCO has decided to accept the recommendations of the Expert Committee and accordingly, vaccines of M/s Serum and M/s Bharat Biotech are being approved for restricted use in emergency situation and permission is being granted to M/s Cadila Healthcare for conduct of the Phase III clinical trial," said VG Somani, DCGI, during a media briefing today.

BSP supremo's tweet comes after a day when Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said that he will not get vaccinated against coronavirus for now as the "BJP government cannot be trusted".

"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 in Lucknow.