'Beginning of pandemic's end': PM Modi to launch world's biggest Covid-19 vaccine drive today

New Delhi, Jan 15: India is set to begin the much awaited COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16. Two indigenously developed coronavirus vaccines Covishield and Covaxin will be administered to nearly 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers both in government and private sectors during the first phase.

Those above 50 years of age, followed by those younger than 50 years of age with comorbidities will be next priority. The mega drive will be held daily from 9am to 5pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination on Saturday at 10.30 am. This will be the world's largest vaccination program covering the entire length and breadth of India.

Doctors, nurses, technicians, lab workers, including ICDS workers will be covered under healthcare workers. While personnel from state and central police department, armed forces, disaster management volunteers, home guard, prison staff, x and civil defence organisation, municipal workers and revenue officials engaged in Covid-19 containment, surveillance and associated activities will come under frontline wokers category.

The vaccination programme will use Co-WIN, an online digital platform developed by the government. The QR code-based vaccination certificate will only be generated for Covid-19 vaccine beneficiaries who are registered on the Co-WIN platform.

PM @narendramodi will launch pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive on 16th January 2021

Telegram: https://t.co/pPDBMrqzZ2 pic.twitter.com/BpZ4IwLtS1

— Prasar Bharati News Services पी.बी.एन.एस. (@PBNS_India) January 15, 2021

The app facilitates realtime information of vaccine stocks, storage, temperature and individualized tracking of beneficiaries for the covid vaccine. It will help for the better management of the vaccination across the country.

A total of 3,006 session sites across all the states and Union Territories will be virtually connected during the launch. Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on Saturday.

A dedicated 24x7 call centre 1075 has also been established for addressing the queries related to Covid 19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN app.

Adequate doses of both COVISHIELD and COVAXIN has already been delivered across the states and UTs.

Is corona vaccine free?

Yes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that the Central government will bear the total cost of immunising over 3 crore people including health workers, from both government and private sector frontline workers, police and paramilitary, home guards, disaster management volunteers and other jawans in civil defence, officials working with containment and surveillance and Safai Karmacharis.