Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with chief ministers of all states to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out in the country, kicking off on January 16.
This is Modi’s first interaction with chief ministers following the recent approval of two coronavirus vaccines for restricted emergency use by India’s drug regulator and the announcement of January 16 as the date for the rollout.
“I’m satisfied that we worked together by standing united in COVID crisis, quick decisions were taken with full sensitivity. As a result, COVID has not spread in India on the scale, on which it spread anywhere else in the world,” the prime minister said.
The country’s drug regulator had on 3 January approved restricted use of two Covid-19 vaccines Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat Biotech, and Covishield, manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
The roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine will provide priority to the healthcare workers and the frontline workers who are estimated to be around 3 crores, followed by those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities numbering around 27 crores.
The announcement of the rollout date came after the Prime Minister chaired a meeting on Saturday to review the status of the coronavirus pandemic in the country along with the preparedness of the states and Union Territories (UTs) for the vaccination drive.
“Being the pharmacy of the world, India has supplied important medicines to all those in need in the world in the past and is also doing so now. The world is not only waiting for Indian vaccines but is also watching how India runs the world’s biggest vaccination program,” he had also said while addressing the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention on Saturday.