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BSS-39
INDIA-VACCINE-DRIVE
India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive to begin on Jan 16: Govt
NEW DELHI, Jan 9, 2021 (BSS) – India will launch its much-expected
Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16 as Prime Minister Narendra
Modi reviewed the country’s coronavirus situation and its preparedness
for vaccination drive.
“Vaccination drive to kick off on 16th January, 2021 after the
forthcoming festivals including Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal and
Magh Bihu, the government announced today following Prime Minister
Modi held a high-level meeting with the senior officials to review the
situation.
“On 16th January, India takes a landmark step forward in fighting
COVID-19. Starting that day, India’s nationwide vaccination drive
begins,” Modi tweeted minutes after the government announcement.
As the vaccine would be rolled out, the country’s nearly 3 crore
healthcare workers and the frontline workers would get priority to be
administered the vaccines. They would be followed by those above 50
years of age and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities
numbering around 27 crore, health ministry sources said.
India has so far conducted countrywide two dry runs of the Covid-19
vaccination. The first dry run was held on January 2 at 286 session
sites across 125 districts while the second phase was held on January
8 736 districts across 33 states and Union Territories (UTs).
Meanwhile, Indian drug regulatory authority on Jan 3 has approved
two Covid-19 vaccines “Covishield and Covaxin”, manufactured in India
by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech for their
“restricted emergency use”.
BSS/AIM/MRU/2003hrs