By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam The last couple of weeks has seen discussions around the vaccine for COVID and whether they are safe and effective. While each person is entitled to his or her own view, it can indeed be confusing listening to the several experts and political commentators about this issue. From calling it the BJP vaccine, to expressing concerns on one of the vaccines being hastily approved for emergency use, one is unsure how the citizens of the country will respond. Most of the people alive today have grown up in times when vaccines have become an inseparable part of our life. From the tetanus shots given to the mother even before one is born, to the primary immunisation provided to all new-born infants against vaccine preventable diseases, we have come to accept vaccines as part of our lifestyle. Countries like India have developed enormous expertise in delivering immunisation programmes to millions of people across the country with a great degree of success. Our public health systems are embedded with the capacity, the intent, the wherewithal and the resources to ensure that the programme is delivered successfully while ensuring adequate safety of the recipients and maintenance of the required cold chain processes.