New Delhi: Manish Kumar, a frontline sanitation worker at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital received the first of coronavirus vaccine, as India kicked off the world’s biggest Covid-19 vaccination drive on Saturday. The sanitation worker was inoculated in the presence of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Narrating his experience after getting the vaccine, Manish said everyone should get inoculated. “I had a good experience. People need not be worried about the vaccine’s side effects,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and NITI Aayog member VK Paul also received the vaccine shot.

World’s Biggest Vaccination Drive

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world’s biggest vaccination drive aimed at ending the pandemic which so far has killed 1,52,093 people in the country and ravaged the economy.

“Such a vaccination drive at such a massive scale was never conducted in history. There are over 100 countries having less than 3 crore population & India is administering vaccination to 3 crore people in first phase only. In second phase, we’ve to take this number to 30 crores”, PM said.

Two doses of the vaccine must

 PM reminded people to get two doses of the vaccine, explaining that “there should be a gap of almost one month between the first and second doses”.

“I request you not to make the mistake of taking off the mask and not maintaining social distancing after getting the first dose because immunity develops after the second dose”, the Prime Minister urged countrymen.

Dawai Bhi, Kadai Bhi

PM Modi reiterated that people should not let their guard down and strictly abide by coronavirus preventive norms even after vaccination.

“Start of vaccination does not mean people should stop following the Covid protocols of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. We must take another vow – Dawai bhi, Kadaai bhi”, said Modi during the launch of nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.