The cost of vaccinating healthcare workers and frontline workers against coronavirus will be born by the central government. Centre will pay for the first 3 crore COVID-19 vaccines administered in the country at the beginning of the vaccination drive, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. India is set to kick off its vaccination drive against COVID-19 from January 16.
The vaccination drive will prioritise healthcare workers, from public and private hospitals both, the Prime Minister said during a virtual meeting with chief ministers COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. Frontline workers, including sanitation workers, other frontline workers, defence forces, police and central forces, home guards, disaster management volunteers, civil defence personnel, revenue officials associated with containment and surveillance, will be the next to receive the vaccine in the first phase. The total number of healthcare workers and frontline workers stands at 3 crore, PM Modi said.