P. Chidambaram on COVID-19 pandemic in India

“We have a duopoly of two vaccines, but they are hardly sufficient to vaccinate a nation of 138 crore people.”

“It is the vaccine or vaccines that will win the war against COVID-19, not the government or mythological beliefs.”

“There is enough research and scholarly writing to conclude that booster shots are an imperative... The time to allow booster shots is NOW”

“The Modi government is callous and cruel. Meanwhile, the shortage of vaccines will continue and the people will suffer and thousands will die. What a tragedy!”

“Government must immediately provide funds to ramp up production in India and increase supplies. Government must also authorise the use of more approved vaccines and allow their manufacture or import.”

“If Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have not yet been ‘approved for use’ by the central government, how will they deal with or sell to the states? Government has rebuffed our advice as well as the suggestion of the Courts, that procurement of vaccines must be centralised.”

“"People are surprised that only three vaccines have been made available in India: Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik Of the three, you can write off Sputnik because only a small quantity was imported in the initial days," Congress veteran Chidambaram had tweeted on December 27, 2021. "We are left with 2 vaccines thanks to the PROTECTIONIST policy of the Modi Government Pfizer, Moderna and other WHO-approved vaccines are kept out of India on one pretext or other Which is why we don't have enough vaccines to administer 2 doses to the 94 crore adult population."”