At least 50% of Indians must be vaccinated, says Prathap C. Reddy

In a conversation on Friday with Ar. Rm. Arun, president of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Reddy said people’s mindset had to change.

The country must vaccinate at least 50% of its population against COVID-19 to protect them from the infection, Apollo Hospitals’ founder Prathap C. Reddy said. In a conversation on Friday with Ar. Rm. Arun, president of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Reddy said people’s mindset had to change. In the pandemic, many doctors and even pharmacists had lost their lives while delivering care. For people to recover from the pandemic, it is necessary to follow COVID-19 protocols, such as washing hands, wearing masks and maintaining physical distance, he said. “Vaccine is effective in protecting (against infection) by building antibodies,” he explained. Many people were influenced by the media, which focused on the adverse effects of the vaccine, he rued. “Side effects were found only in 1 in 1,00,000 people. It is fear of side-effects projected by the media that delayed vaccination,” he said, citing the experience in Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, where vaccination had prevented serious illness among vaccinated employees.