This Article is From Mar 01, 2021

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij Explains Why He Won't Take Covid Vaccine

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij tweeted that he would not take the shot.

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India News Edited by

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij was administered a trial dose of a coronavirus vaccine in November.

Highlights

  • Anil Vij said antibody count in his body is 300
  • Mr Vij was administered trial dose of Covaxin last year
  • He had volunteered for the vaccine as part of its third phase trial
New Delhi:

As the second phase of the nationwide Covid vaccination began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first beneficiary, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij tweeted that he did not need the vaccine.

PM Modi received a shot of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin at Delhi's AIIMS this morning and urged all eligible to take the vaccine and help "make India Covid-free".

Around the same time, the Haryana Health Minister tweeted that he would not take the shot.

"Today corona vaccine is starting for the people. Now there should be no hesitation at all. I will not be able to receive a dose as after a Covid infection, my antibody count is 300 which is a lot. Maybe the trial vaccine I had taken had a role in that. I don't need vaccine right now," Mr Vij posted in Hindi.

Mr Vij was hospitalized for Covid in December.

He had been administered a dose of Covaxin in November; he had volunteered for it as part of its third phase trial.

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That he contracted the infection after vaccination caused a debate though it was clarified that he had taken only one dose and the second was pending.

India has reported more than 11 million coronavirus infections and over 157,000 deaths.

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Some 11 million people have received one or two doses in the vaccination drive that began on January 16. The government's target is 300 million by August.

Haryana has over 2.7 lakh cases with 174 new infections on Sunday. The state has seen over 3,000 deaths.

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