Chennai, Jan 8 (UNI) Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan

today said the COVID vaccination programme would be rolled

out across the country very soon.

Talking to reporters after inspecting Tamil Nadu's preparedness

for administering the vaccine ahead of the roll out at the Rajiv

Gandhi Government General Hospital here, he said medical

professionals have shown exemplary courage in tackling covid

in the country.

'Earlier, we had only few labs. Now we have 2,300 labs for

testing covid. We are now exporting ventilators, PPE kits

and N-95 masks', he added.

Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken proactive

steps in tackling the corona, Dr Harsh Vardhan said frontline

workers, sanitary workers, medical practitioners and defence

personnel will get priority in the first phase of vaccination.

Later, people above 50 years with co-morbidities will be

vaccinated, he added.

'We are happy that we have developed the vaccine in such a

short period. we have now given emergency use license.', he

said.

'Very shortly we will begin the vaccination programme across

the country', he said, adding, like how we eradicated polio,

corona too would be eradicated.

He lauded the Tamil Nadu government for tackling the covid

and said the state handled the challenging situation by

conducting 100 per cent RT-PCR tests and brought the virus

spread under control.

'State Government's very good planning and management

has brought the pandemic under control', he added.

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