Ministers Among 90% MPs Vaccinated for Covid-19 as Parliament Gets Set for Monsoon Session from July 19

With the government recommending start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament from July 19 to August 13, emphasis is being paid on vaccination of members of the secretariat as India sees a decline in cases in the second Covid-19 wave.

Official sources said nearly 90% of the Members of Parliament have already been vaccinated. In the Upper House of Parliament, in a house strength of 232, the average age of members ranges from 60 to 94 years. As per official records, a total of 179 members have taken both doses of the vaccine whereas 39 of them have taken a single dose. Five MPs in the Rajya Sabha are recovering from Covid and only nine of them have not taken any vaccine, possibly due to the gap in vaccination post-recovery from Covid-19.

In the Lok Sabha, there are 540 members out of a total strength of 543. The number of members in the Lower House who have taken the vaccine is 444. A total of 321 members have taken both doses whereas 124 of the legislators have taken just a single jab. This list of vaccinated MPs does not include union ministers.

As per the official sources, there is no information about vaccination of 96 MPs, including Union ministers. Of the 96, quite a few would be Union ministers whose information is not yet updated in official records, while a few are recovering from Covid and still waiting to get the jab. The likes of Congress Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi fall in this category.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken both doses of the vaccine, as have Chairman and Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Both the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman have constantly been making an appeal to all the secretariat staff as well as the Members of Parliament to get themselves vaccinated, wherever and whenever they are eligible. India has launched a massive vaccination drive, possibly the largest in the world, and free vaccines are being given to its citizens.

The premises in Parliament also have a vaccination camp for members and their families and officials among others. In fact, the Lok Sabha Speaker made a public announcement last week that the vaccination centre was accessible even for accredited media personnel.

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