Govt Announces Launch Date For COVID-19 Vaccination In Country

New Delhi: India’s coronavirus vaccination drive will begin on January 16, the Central government announced on Saturday.

The announcement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in the country, NDTV reported.

According to government sources, it was decided that in view of the forthcoming festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu, etc., the COVID-19 vaccination will start from January 16.

Priority will be given to the healthcare workers and the frontline workers, estimated to be around three crore in number, the sources said, adding that they would be followed by 27 crore people consisting of those above 50 years of age and then those under 50 with co-morbidities.

The government had earlier approved two vaccines for emergency use in the country — Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Covishield, which was developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and is being manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

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