Rumours against COVID vaccines may be penalised, Centre writes to states

Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to states for taking appropriate necessary measures to counter the spread of all such kind of false information about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Emphasising that the National Regulatory Authority in the country has found both the vaccines safe and immunogenic, Union home secretary Bhalla, noted that unfounded and misleading rumours are circulating in the social and other media, creating doubt about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines.

"Such kind of rumour mongering, particularly by vested interests, can create unwarranted doubts among people at large, and there is therefore, a need to check all such kinds of unfounded scare mongering relating to the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccines," the letter to state chief secretaries said.

The home secretary in his letter urged the states to put in place an appropriate mechanism to check the spread of ill-informed rumours.

"A penal action may be taken against the people and organizations found to have indulged in such activities, under the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860," the home secretary said.

Meanwhile, the Centre has requested people to not fall prey to the rumours against the COVID vaccines, which have been given permission for a restricted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) in the country.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare a few days ago released posters to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy in some sections of the population.

Urging everyone to counter the "vested campaigns of untruth and misinformation", the Union Health Minister noted that vaccination against Covid will help eradicate the disease altogether in some time.