Harsh Vardhan slams Manish Tewari for questioning efficacy, safety of COVID-19 vaccines ANI | Updated: Jan 16, 2021 16:33 IST
New Delhi [India], January 16 (ANI): Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday slammed Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari for raising questions over the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in the nationwide vaccination drive.
Lashing out at the Congress, the Health Minister accused the party of spreading distrust and rumors about the vaccine. Manish Tewari and Congress are only passionate about spreading distrust and rumors. Open your eyes, sharing photos of eminent Doctors and government functionaries getting inoculated, Harsh Vardhan tweeted.
Harsha Vardhan shared photos of doctors, government functionaries getting inoculated (File)
New Delhi:
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today slammed Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari for raising questions over the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines being administered as India launched its nationwide vaccination drive.
Lashing out at the Congress, the Health Minister accused the party of spreading distrust and rumors about the vaccine. Manish Tewari and Congress are only passionate about spreading distrust and rumors. Open your eyes, sharing photos of eminent Doctors and government functionaries getting inoculated, Harsh Vardhan tweeted.
Further slamming Congress, Harsh Vardhan even quoted English writer Charles Caleb Colton: So blinded are we by our passions that we suffer more to be damned than to be saved.
File photo of Congress leader Manish Tewari. | Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS
A war of words ensued between Congress MP Manish Tewari and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday after the former again raised questions on the efficacy of the Bharat Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin. The vaccine has been granted emergency use even though it has not completed its Phase 3 trials.
“Many eminent doctors have raised questions with regard to the efficacy and safety of Covaxin with the government saying that people will not be able to choose which vaccine they would like to take,” Tewari had told ANI earlier in the day. “This goes against the entire doctrine of informed consent.” The altercation between the Congress leader and the health minister came as India began its coronavirus vaccination drive.
"Our scientists have worked at lightning speed to expedite functions that contribute to development of a vaccine but not a single function has been circumvented," Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said in response to Congress MP Manish Tewari's remarks.