From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 24: "Vaccination is the only way to keep Covid away,’’ Dr K Sudhakar, health and family welfare Minister, announcing that the state government is making all out efforts to vaccinate everyone by December.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Thursday after flagging off a special vaccination drive at State Bar Council, Dr Sudhakar said, "Vaccine is the only solution for corona. Otherwise, we need to mask up all the time. If we want to be mask free, then everyone should be vaccinated at the earliest.’’
It is because of the stringent measures by the state government that the mortality rate has been reduced during the second wave though there was a surge in cases than expected.
"We have increased the health infrastructure. Backlog vacancies of 1,760 medical officers have been filled which were due for the last 25 years. We are strengthening the health sector at the district level to tackle the third wave based on the recommendations of the committee headed by Dr Devi Shetty,’’ the minister said.
Some people are spreading rumours about the vaccine on social media. People tend to believe such information.
"I urge people to trust only authenticated information from government sources. As in the case of smallpox, people took many years to trust the vaccine. The Hepatitis-B vaccine took 20 years to arrive in India. But we are fast enough to invent a vaccine for Covid-19. We should be proud enough that it has been invented in our country. This is very effective and everyone should get it," Dr Sudhakar said.
Foreign vaccines are expensive but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is providing the indigenous vaccine free of cost to everyone, he said pointing out that people should be informed scientifically and positively about the vaccine.
The government has taken steps to vaccinate 1 lac advocates and their families. It is given on priority to professionals who are in contact with more people, said the minister.