India is all set to kick off the vaccination drive towards Covid-19 on January 16, 2021, the central authorities notified in a press launch on Saturday.
The rollout of Covid vaccine will present precedence to the healthcare staff and the frontline staff who’re estimated to be round three crore, adopted by these above 50 years of age and the under-50 inhabitants teams with co-morbidities numbering round 27 crore.
The authorities has scheduled to start out the drive simply after the forthcoming festivals reminiscent of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu, amongst others.
Ahead of the drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level assembly to overview standing of COVID-19 within the nation together with preparedness of the State/UTs for COVID vaccination. The assembly was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to PM, Health Secretary, and different senior officers.
During his 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas handle earlier at present, PM Modi stated India is prepared with two vaccines for the safety of humanity and the world is just not solely ready for them but additionally watching how the nation runs the globe’s greatest vaccination programme.
India’s medication regulator lately accepted Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and the indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use within the nation. Two dry runs of the vaccines have additionally been carried out throughout the nation to know the easiest way to administer them and plug loopholes in logistics and coaching.
Modi lauded India’s combat towards COVID-19 and stated we’re among the many international locations with the bottom fatality fee and the best restoration fee. He additionally stated the way in which the nation stood collectively throughout the pandemic was unparalleled. “Being the pharmacy of the world, India has supplied important medicines to all those in need in the world and continues to do so”, he stated.