PM Modi to launch Covid vaccination drive, shots for 3 lakh healthcare workers on day 1

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is like to interact with healthcare workers who would receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot on January 16, when the nationwide vaccination drive against the virus will be launched.

At least 60 hospitals across the country including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi have been directed to prepare for video conferencing facility at their respective hospitals.

“The Health Ministry has given instructions to be ready with the video conferencing facility. Around 100 healthcare beneficiaries would receive the vaccine shot against coronavirus here at AIIMS. It includes- faculty, resident doctors, nurses, and paramedics staff,” a senior doctor from AIIMS told ANI on anonymity.

“We have created a vaccination centre at the new OPD block on the 8th floor at EHS OPD. All the 100 beneficiaries will receive a text message on their mobile phone about the details of their vaccination a day prior to the immunisation,” he added.

The Centre has planned to vaccinate around 3 lakhs healthcare workers at 2,934 session sites on the first day of the inoculation.

Two COVID-19 vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — have been given emergency use authorisation after a high-level meeting going through established safety and immunogenicity through a well prescribed regulatory process.

These vaccines may cost in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 295 in India.

Earlier in the day, the Union Health Ministry said that the initial procurement of 1.65 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines have been allocated to all States and Union Territories according to the proportion of their healthcare workers’ database.

The Ministry said that an initial lot of supply of vaccine doses and would be continuously replenished in the weeks to come.

According to the Health Ministry, the States and Union Territories have also been advised to increase the number of vaccination session sites that would be operational every day in a progressive manner as the vaccination process stabilizes.

India reported 16,946 new COVID-19 cases and 198 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. The overall caseload in the country has reached 1,05,12,093, including 2,13,603 active cases.

With 17,652 discharges in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 1,01,46,763. The death toll has gone up to 1,51,727.