PM Modi's photo removed from Covid vaccine certificates amid Covishield controversy

The Union Health Ministry has made a significant revision to the CoWIN certificates issued for Covid-19 vaccinations, notably removing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Previously, these certificates prominently featured Modi's image along with a quote expressing India's collective determination to overcome the coronavirus crisis. While the quote, "Together, India will defeat COVID-19," remains attributed to the Prime Minister, his name has been omitted from the certificates.

Recent discussions surrounding the acknowledgment by vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca in a UK court regarding the potential association of Covishield, India's version of the vaccine, with Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare side effect involving blood clotting, have prompted scrutiny of vaccination certificates in India. Social media observations, particularly on platform X (formerly Twitter), have highlighted a significant change: the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph on Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued in the country.

Officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare clarified that the removal of the Prime Minister's image from vaccine certificates was due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) enforced during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This is not the first instance of Modi's photo being excluded from Covid vaccination certificates. In 2022, his photograph was also omitted from certificates issued in five states following directives from the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of assembly elections in those states.

The inclusion of Modi's picture on vaccination certificates had previously sparked controversy in 2021, prompting legal action that reached the Kerala High Court. The opposition Congress has accused the BJP government of disregarding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and demanded compensation for families of individuals who reportedly died due to heart attacks or similar reasons post-Covishield vaccination.

However, doctors affiliated with the Gujarat BJP have stated that a study conducted by an expert panel in the state found no direct link between Covid-19 vaccines and blood clotting leading to heart attacks.

In India, AstraZeneca collaborated with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture the Covishield vaccine. Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil has raised concerns about the lack of comprehensive data collection despite WHO's advisory.
 

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