Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 26

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced expansion of vaccination coverage, the Congress demanded jabs for children between 5 and 15 years.

Demanding that the government must follow a clear vaccination policy, the Opposition party also asked the PM to spell out the plan for combating the pandemic.

Taking a swipe at the PM for holding political rallies, the Congress said, while in Uttar Pradesh gatherings at weddings were being limited to 200, Modi was holding huge rallies. On Saturday, the PM had announced that vaccination for children between 15 and 18 years would start from January 3, while the “precaution dose” for healthcare and frontline workers would be administered from January 10.

In an address to the nation, Modi said the precaution dose would also be available for citizens above 60 years of age having comorbidities on the advice of their doctors from January 10 next year.

Briefing media at AICC headquarters here, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Modi government had “failed India” during the pandemic. He said, “Modi ji failed the migrant workers, poor and small traders during the Covid waves.”

Alleging that Covid “mismanagement” led to “death of nearly 40 lakh Indians” Surjewala said, “The tepid response on Omicron virus is even more alarming now.” The Congress leader said despite the “lofty announcement”, the harsh reality is that 47.95 crore adults over 18 years of age are yet to be administered 59.40 crore doses.

Questioning jab availability, Surjewala said the PM’s announcement would mean that 25.69 crore people would be entitled to 35.7 crore more vaccine doses. He said the need was over 90 crore doses.