Inadvertent error: Govt clarifies on allegations of vaccine certificate issued to dead on PM's birthday

On September 17, a record was created as over 2.5 crore doses were administered in the country

TT, PTI   |   New Delhi   |    30.09.21: The government Thursday dismissed as "baseless" allegations that dead people were issued vaccination certificates on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, and clarified that there was a case in Madhya Pradesh due to an "inadvertent error" by a vaccinator as the beneficiary had registered for the inoculation when he was alive.

On Modi's birthday on September 17, a record was created as over 2.5 crore vaccine doses were administered in the country.

Responding to a question that in some states, it seems dead people were given vaccine certificates while in some, there was pending data entry which added to the numbers, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a media briefing, "That was an instance in Madhya Pradesh and we found that the registration was done when the person was alive, and on the date when the person was supposed to come for vaccination unfortunately the person died."

"There was an inadvertent error by the vaccinator in pressing the button in front of that name, so that error happened which has subsequently been corrected," he added.

On allegations that pending data entry was made which added to the numbers on Modi's birthday, he said they are baseless.

"The allegation of delayed data entry was made in respect of Bihar, We got it checked, and we found it to be absolutely baseless. Bihar on an average inoculates 3-5 lakh people a day, but it would be something totally unrealistic to say that they are not given digital certificates, they will not receive SMS and that data would not uploaded," Bhushan said.

"We have asked the channels and media houses which had done this story. If they could share specific details of villages and names of people, and we are still waiting for those details...," he added.