A notable alteration has been made to the Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued by the Union Health Ministry, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image has been removed. Previously, these certificates prominently featured Modi’s photograph along with a quote expressing India’s resolve to combat the coronavirus pandemic. While the quote, “Together, India will defeat COVID-19,” remains attributed to the Prime Minister, his name is now absent from the certificates.
Recent discussions surrounding revelations by vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca in a UK court regarding Covishield’s potential association with Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare blood clotting side effect, have led to scrutiny of vaccination certificates in India. Observations on social media platforms, particularly platform X (formerly Twitter), have drawn attention to a significant change: the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph on Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued in the country.
Officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare clarified that the removal of the Prime Minister’s image from vaccine certificates was due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) enforced during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This is not the first instance of Modi’s photo being excluded from Covid vaccination certificates. In 2022, his photograph was also omitted from certificates issued in five states following 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, leading to legal action reaching the Kerala High Court. The opposition Congress has accused the BJP government of disregarding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and demanded compensation for families of individuals who reportedly died due to heart attacks or similar reasons post-Covishield vaccination.
However, doctors affiliated with the Gujarat BJP have stated that a study conducted by an expert panel 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 Covishield vaccine. Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil has raised concerns about the lack of comprehensive data collection despite WHO’s advisory.