PM Modi's picture removed from Covid vaccine certificates, here's why

The Union Health Ministry has updated the CoWIN certificates for COVID-19 vaccinations by removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image.

Previously, these certificates prominently displayed Modi's image along with a quote asserting India's united determination to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. While the quote, “Together, India will defeat COVID-19,” remains credited to the prime minister, his name has been removed from the certificates, according to a report by The Hindu.

Discussions surrounding Covishield, the vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, have resurfaced following the company's acknowledgement in a UK court of a potential link to Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare side effect involving blood clotting. In India, many individuals have reexamined their vaccination certificates in light of this development.

Check out how have netizens have reacted:

Mentioning the reason behind the removal of the pictures, officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told ThePrint that the removal of the image from the vaccine certificate was due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) currently in effect due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.