Short of the target
It is not very encouraging news that States have fallen short of the inoculation target (Page 1, January 18). Perhaps, the non-availability of efficacy data for Covaxin appears to have played a role in increasing vaccine hesitancy even among frontline health-care workers. If this continues to be the state of affairs, then the hesitancy levels for ordinary citizens are bound to be much higher.
There needs to be clarity on this issue too.It is not clear whether those who refuse to get vaccinated with Covaxin will be given a chance to get a shot of an alternative vaccine later. It would be a tall order to expect ordinary citizens to make a "rational and scientific" decision to "choose or decline a vaccine on the basis of whether the potential risks outweigh the benefits". This is a decision that should be made by the scientists and then approved by the government as per regulations. Now that Covaxin has been approved and released, the public should be given a choice between Covishield and Covaxin, so that vaccine hesitancy can be reduced.
Kosaraju Chandramouli,
Hyderabad
Farmers’ protest
Going by the way the farmers remain committed, I do not think they can be coerced to leave the protest site. I wonder why the government is so adamant and is not withdrawing the farm laws. After all, democracy is about listening to the voice of the people. The farmers at Delhi are also echoing the voice of farmers across India. It should be heard as the collective voice of farmers. If the people do not favour a move by the government, the government ought to listen.
T. Anand Raj,
Chennai
Transcript revelations
The report, on the alleged WhatsApp conversations between the former CEO of a viewership ratings agency and a well-known TV anchor, shows that it is a serious matter as they could constitute murky deals between various agencies (Inside pages, January 18).
Journalism is sacred and any effort to malign it should be viewed seriously. Any attempt at a cover-up will only strengthen the perception that there is much that goes on behind TV reporting.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
Prima facie , the incriminating conversations point to an unholy nexus between a news channel and those in power and also smack of influence peddling. The blue-eyed boy was in possession of classified information and tried to use it in the furtherance of his commercial interests. Someone has to now accept responsibility for leaking military secrets
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu