AIIMs director, Medanta CMD, SII CEO… Doctors & eminent personalities who took Covid vaccine today

New Delhi: World’s biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme began in India on Saturday, covering about 3 lakh recipients across 3,006 sites in the country on the opening day.

Several eminent persons and well-known personalities were among those who took the jab apart from score of nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation and anganwadi workers.

The vaccination drive began today with PM Modi’s address to the nation and interaction with some of the beneficiaries.

Many people have been skeptical of Covid-19 vaccine given at the extraordinary speed with which the vaccine has been brought. However, these eminent personalities will serve as role-model and help mitigate apprehensions over vaccination.

1) Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director

#WATCH | AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria receives COVID-19 vaccine shot at AIIMS, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/GFvZ2lgfj3

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2021

2) Dr Naresh Trehan, Medanta CMD

Dr Naresh Trehan of #Medanta gets vaccinated pic.twitter.com/cetfghuYIw

— Aditi A (@AditiAnarayanan) January 16, 2021

3) Adar Poonawala, Serum Institute of India CEO

I wish India & Sri @narendramodi ji great success in launching the world’s largest COVID vaccination roll-out. It brings me great pride that #COVISHIELD is part of this historic effort & to endorse it’s safety & efficacy, I join our health workers in taking the vaccine myself. pic.twitter.com/X7sNxjQBN6

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 16, 2021

4) Dr Jayanathi, Dean of Govt Medical College, Chennai

Dr Jayanthi, Dean of the Government Medical College Omandarur #Chennai receives the first #CovishieldVaccine @TheQuint @QuintFit @QuintHindi #COVID19 #CovidVaccine #CoronavirusVaccine #CoronaVaccine pic.twitter.com/AiwcRfVnNi

— Smitha T K (@smitha_tk) January 16, 2021

5) AIIMs sanitation worker, who was 1st to take vaccine

#WATCH | Manish Kumar, a sanitation worker, becomes the first person to receive COVID-19 vaccine jab at AIIMS, Delhi in presence of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. pic.twitter.com/6GKqlQM07d

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2021

6) Indore doctors break into a jig over vaccine launch

In Indore, doctors were over-excited at the launch of Coronavirus vaccine and even got into a jig to express happiness.

ग्वालियर में कोरोना की पहली वैक्सीन लगने पर डॉक्टरों ने ढोल नगाड़ों पर किया जमकर डांस…#VaccinationDrive #vaccinationCovid #vaccination pic.twitter.com/I2JqSMnceh

— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) January 16, 2021

When PM Modi got emotional at vaccine roll out

PM Modi, while addressing the nation about vaccination launch, he got emotional talking about the frontline workers who succumbed in line of duty.

At once, he choked with emotion, regained his composure and urged people to keep the precautions.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi gets emotional while talking about the hardships faced by healthcare and frontline workers during the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/B0YQsqtSgW

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2021

Speaking at the launch of the nationwide vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus via video conferencing, PM Modi said: “India’s coronavirus drive is based on humanitarian and very important principles. Those who need the vaccine the most will get the dose first. Those who are at high risk will get the vaccine shot at first. Doctors, nurses, sanitation staff at hospitals, medical and para-medical staff are the most deserving to get the vaccine dose first.”