Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender on Saturday decided not to take Covid vaccine, following a suggestion from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to politicians to give priority to healthcare workers.

The minister was scheduled to take the vaccine at Gandhi hospital on the first day.

Following the national rollout of the programme by the Prime Minister, Rajender formally launched vaccination at the hospital but returned without taking the jab.

Minister for Industry and Information Technology K.T. Rama Rao later told reporters that the decision was taken on the Prime Minister’s suggestion.

“I am the captain of this (health) department,” Rajender had remarked while defending his decision to inoculate himself, at a news conference on Friday evening.

However, the health minister changed his mind after Modi’s suggestion. Following requests of politicians from some states, the Prime Minister advised them to wait and give preference to healthcare workers.

Public representatives are ready to take the vaccine but they will wait in view of the Prime Minister’s suggestion, said Rama Rao after inaugurating the vaccination at a centre at Tilak Nagar in Hyderabad.

A total of 4,000 healthcare workers are taking the vaccine at 139 centres across Telangana on Saturday.