India launches world’s largest Covid-19 vaccination drive: Who received the first shot?

The vaccination drive will be carried out in 3,006 sites across the country, where 100 beneficiaries each will be given either Covaxin or Covishield Covid-19 vaccine.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: January 16, 2021 1:36 pm

As of February 7, total 57,75,322 people have been vaccinated in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccination programme on Saturday with the hope to bring the pandemic to an end. Addressing the country digitally, Modi said that three crore people will be vaccinated in the first phase of the vaccination drive and that the vaccines would be administered to the healthcare workers free of cost. The plan is to take the number to 30 crores in the second phase, and include those who are elderly, and who are suffering from serious illness, the Prime Minister said. Also Read - Bridging the gap between immunisation and immunity: 2 new diagnostic tests for COVID-19

Modi also lauded the efforts of scientists who managed to make two ‘Made-in-India’ vaccines in a very short period which usually takes years. He also paid tribute to the healthcare workers who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic. Notably, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved ‘Covishield’ and ‘Covaxin‘ vaccines for emergency use earlier this month. Covishield is manufactured in India by Serum Institute of India in Pune in collaboration with the Oxford University and AstraZeneca, while Covaxin is developed Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. Also Read - COVID-19 vaccine for people above 60, comorbid people from March 1, free at government centres

Launching the vaccination drive, the Prime Minister also noted that people need to get two doses of the vaccine, with a gap of almost one month between the first and second doses. Also Read - 54-year-old man dies after taking COVID-19 vaccine Covishield in Delhi

“Only two weeks after the second dose, your body will develop the necessary strength against coronavirus,” IANS quotes Modi as saying.

The First Indian to get the Covid-19 vaccine

India will administer the first doses of Covid-19 vaccines to three crore health and other frontline workers, such as those in sanitation and security, in phase 1 of the vaccination drive that stated from today. Politicians will not be considered frontline workers, PM Modi said.

The vaccination programme will be carried out in 3,006 sites across the country, where 100 beneficiaries each will be given either Covaxin or Covishield. The beneficiaries will receive the second dose of the same vaccine, 28 days after receiving the first dose.

Sanitation worker Manish Kumar became the first to be administered the vaccine in the country. He was inoculated at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi in the presence of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria also received the vaccine shot on live television in a move to inspire confidence among the public about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

#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

Vinod K Paul, who heads a government panel on vaccine strategy, was among the senior professionals in the medical field to be vaccinated first in a campaign. He was also administered the vaccine on live television after Dr Guleria.

Meanwhile, India registered 15,158 new Covid infections in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 1,05,42,841. As of Saturday, the disease has claimed 152093 lives in the country, according to the Union Health Ministry’s latest data. So far, a total of 1,01,79,715 people have recovered from the disease and currently the recovery rate stands at 96.56 per cent. The fatality rate has also dropped to 1.44 per cent.

Published : January 16, 2021 1:08 pm | Updated:January 16, 2021 1:36 pm

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