I heard you got vaccine in July: Health Minister to Rahul on shortage claim

New Delhi: Union minister of health and family welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday said that 130 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in India in July 2021 and further said that it will be accelerated in August 2021. The minister made these remarks on Twitter, in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tweet about vaccine shortage.

“More than 13 crore vaccines have been administered in India in the month of July. It is going to accelerate this month. We are proud of our healthcare workers for this achievement. Now you should also be proud of them and the country,” Mandaviya tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, “July has passed, vaccine shortage has not gone.” Along with the tweet, Gandhi also shared a 30-second video clip titled “COVID: Will India be able to meet its vaccination target?” which showed several news headlines about vaccine crunch in different places. In the beginning of July, Gandhi had sent out a similar tweet in which he said, “July has come, vaccines have not #WhereAreVaccines.”

In his reply, Mandaviya took a swipe at the Congress leader saying that he was also one among the several people who had received their Covid-19 vaccine in July.

“I have heard that you are one of the 13 crore people who were vaccinated in July. But you did not speak a word for our scientists, did not appeal to the public to take the vaccine. Meaning, you are doing petty politics in the name of vaccination. Not the vaccine, but you lack maturity,” Mandaviya tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi was inoculated with the first dose of the vaccine on July 28 (Wednesday) and hence could not attend the parliament on July 29 and 30, news agency ANI reported citing unnamed sources within the Congress.

While the BJP has been questioning the Congress leaders about their vaccination, the Congress insisted that the Centre should concentrate more on increasing vaccination and vaccine supply in the country.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Union health ministry announced that the cumulative doses administered under the country’s Covid-19 vaccination drive crossed the 470-million mark.