The Opposition coalition, for the first time, has urged the general population to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic as the government's mass inoculation program gains momentum.
In a statement, the opposition urged the nation to get the covishield vaccine as world health body WHO gave its approval to the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and oxford university of the UK. India had donated 100,000 doses of this vaccine which is manufactured by the Serum Inistitute in India.
WHO had given it the green signal upon the recommendation from WHO's Strategic Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization.
The opposition coalition said that with WHO now approving the covisheild vaccine along with a few other vaccines, it would also advise members of the public to get the vaccine.
It also said that there is no higher priority than the safety of the country's citizens and that no agenda should also be above this. The opposition coalition said that this includes other issues like foreign policy and front-line workers allowance and added that these issues would always come after the well-being of the public.
In a complete u-turn from its earlier rhetoric, the opposition coalition urged the public to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the coalition's leadership would also get vaccinated in the coming days.
Health Protection Agency HPA had said last night that over 50,000 people have now been given the first dose of the covisheild vaccine.
