MHA asks states to take legal action against those spreading Covid-19 vaccine misinformation

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla urged the states and UTs to put in place an appropriate mechanism to check the spread of such ill-informed rumours

Amid spread of rumours over the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, the Centre has asked states to take measures to check the spread of misinformation and take penal action against those who are found to be involved in such acts.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories on this and emphasised that the National Regulatory Authority has found that the two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- were safe and immunogenic.

"I would like to strongly emphasise that the National Regulatory Authority in the country has found both the vaccines safe and immunogenic. However, it has been reported that unfounded and misleading rumours are circulating on social and other media, raising doubts on the safety and efficacy of these vaccines," Bhalla said.

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"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," he added.

The Covid-19 vaccination drive in India began on January 16 with healthcare and frontline workers being prioritised as decided by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC).

Bhalla asked states to put in place a proper mechanism to check the spread of such ill-informed news and rumours. He also directed the Chief Secretaries to direct all the authorities under the state government to take appropriate measures to counter the spread of all "false information" about Covid-19 vaccines as well as promptly disseminate factual messages.

"Further, penal action may be taken against the person/s or organisation/s who is/ are found to have indulged in such activities, under the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act. 2005 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860," he said in the letter.