The Union Health Ministry made a significant alteration to the CoWIN certificates for Covid-19 vaccinations, removing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Previously, these certificates prominently featured Modi's image alongside a quote affirming India's collective resolve to overcome the coronavirus. While the quote – “Together, India will defeat COVID-19” – remains attributed to the prime minister, his name has been excluded from the certificates.
In the wake of vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca's acknowledgment in a UK court regarding Covishield's potential association with Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare side effect involving blood clotting, discussions on this matter have resurfaced in India. This development prompted many individuals to scrutinize their vaccination certificates.
Observations on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) pointed out a significant change: the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph on Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued in India.
However, officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare explained that the removal of the image from vaccine certificates was due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in place for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
This is not the first instance of Modi's photo being removed from Covid vaccination certificates. In 2022, Modi's photograph was also omitted from certificates issued in five states due to 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, reaching the Kerala High Court. The opposition Congress has accused the BJP government of not adhering to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and demanded compensation for the families of individuals who died due to heart attacks or similar reasons after receiving the Covishield vaccine.
However, doctors associated with the Gujarat BJP stated that an expert panel's study 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 vaccine. Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil raised concerns about the lack of data collection despite WHO's advisory.
