Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday shared the photo of his second COVID-19 vaccine dose on social media as he urged people to ‘take the vaccine’ if they were eligible. The prime minister had taken his first dose of the vaccine a little over a month ago. However, the stark difference in the body language and his facial expressions in both the photos are the grim reminders of the fresh danger of the pandemic faced by Indians.
Modi had tweeted on 1 March, “Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19. I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!.”
In the photo, the prime looked was posing for the camera with a smile without covering his face with a mask. He looked happy and bereft of any fear of the pandemic.
However, when he received his second dose on 8 April, his public appearance was remarkably different. Not only did he cover his face with a mask, but he also did not look at the camera. He looked down. Sharing the photo of his vaccination, the prime minister wrote, “Got my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS today. Vaccination is among the few ways we have, to defeat the virus. If you are eligible for the vaccine, get your shot soon. Register on http://CoWin.gov.in.”
Modi has often faced flak for doing away with face mask in his public appearances including while addressing election rallies. The prime minister opting to cover his face with a mask assumes significance in light of an alarming surge in the COVID-19 cases across India. India has reported 1,26,789 new cases with 685 deaths in the past 24 hours. Of them, 322 deaths have been reported from Maharashtra alone.