'My Mother is Almost 100 Yrs Old & Yet...' PM Modi Warns Against Vaccine Hesitancy in Mann ki Baat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned against vaccine hesitancy as he cited his mother’s example to encourage people to take the jab against Covid-19.

In the Mann ki Baat programme, PM Modi spoke to people from Dulariya village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and counselled them to take the vaccine amidst their doubts, marking an important conversation to help shed vaccine hesitancy, particularly in rural areas.

“I have taken both doses. My mother is almost hundred years old, she has taken both vaccines too. Please do not believe any negative rumours relating to vaccines,” Modi said when villagers informed him about rumours surrounding the jab.

The prime minister asked the MP



village to involve women in combating vaccine hesitancy and inform him once they had taken the jab.

To mark Independence Day on August 15, PM Modi said our mantra should be “India First”.

Ahead of National Doctors’ Day, PM Modi also thanked the frontline warriors for helping combat the coronavirus pandemic. He also expressed his condolences to those who lost their life due to the virus and said a fitting tribute to them would be to wear a mask, practice social distancing and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.

The prime minister began his address by congratulating sportspersons headed for the Tokyo Olympics and paying tribute to ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh who recently lost the battle to Covid-19.