Check rumours: Centre to States
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 27 2021: The Government of India has issued directions to the State Governments to set up appropriate mechanisms to check spread of ill-informed rumours regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Union Home Secretary, said a letter written to the Chief Secretaries of States has informed that the second round of inoculation drive for priority groups 2 and 3 will commence as a part of the Nationwide vaccination drive with vaccines namely Covishiled manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech Limited, which according to the National Regulatory Authority in the country are safe and immunogenic.

However, it has been reported that unfounded and misleading rumours are circulating in the social and other media, creating doubts about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, he added.

He also said that such rumour mongering particularly by vested interests can create unwarranted doubts among people at large and therefore there is a need to check all such kinds of unfounded scare mongering relating to the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccines.

Penal action may be taken against the person(s) or organisation(s) found to be indulging in such activities under the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860, he warned.

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