Sonia Gandhi urges Congress party workers to address Covid vaccine hesitancy, prepare for third wave

The Congress president said it is imperative that the daily rate of vaccination "trebles" to ensure 75 per cent of the population is inoculated by the end of the year. "No doubt, this is dependent entirely on the adequacy of vaccine supply."

Sonia Gandhi said that the Congress party must play an active role in ensuring full vaccination coverage. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal/File)

In a meeting with general secretaries and in-charges of various states, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asserted that the party must “play an active role in ensuring full vaccination coverage”.

Expressing concern over the daily rate of vaccination, she stated it is imperative that it “trebles” to ensure that 75 per cent of the population is inoculated by the end of the year. “No doubt, this is dependent entirely on the adequacy of vaccine supply. We must continue to put pressure on the Union government which has, at our party’s insistence, finally taken on the responsibility for this,” she added.

Gandhi said that the party must address vaccine hesitancy wherever it is evident and encourage registration, as well as ensure that vaccine wastage is minimised.

Story continues below this ad

She also called attention to the threat of a third wave of coronavirus infections in the country, which may strike a “few months from now.” Stating that some experts have pointed out the vulnerability of children, she asserted that party “must take proactive measures so that they are spared this calamity.”

“We have to take steps to be better prepared if and when this strikes,” she said, adding that we must learn from the traumatic experience of the second wave, “so that we do not have to experience it yet again”.

Referring to the white paper on the Centre’s “mismanagement” of the pandemic, which was released by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, she said it must be “disseminated widely”.

“The aim of this white paper on Covid-19 is not finger-pointing at the government but to help the nation prepare for the third wave of infection. The whole country knows that a third wave will strike,” Gandhi had said in a virtual presser.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Taboola...

EXCLUSIVE: EC brings in feature to check misuse of identity to seek voter list deletions

Political Pulse2 hr ago

The Election Commission has launched a new 'e-sign' feature on its portal and app to prevent fraud. This comes after allegations of misuse of online voter deletion forms in Karnataka. The feature requires voters to verify their identity using their Aadhaar-linked phone numbers, reducing the possibility of fraud.

View all shorts

Live Blog