Amitabh Bachchan hails COVID vaccination drive, hopes to eradicate virus like polio from India

MUMBAI: As India kickstarted world's largest vaccination drive against coronavirus over the weekend, megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he is hopeful that the country will become COVID-19 free.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had earlier this month approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

The 78-year-old actor on Sunday said people of India will eliminate coronavirus from the country like polio.

"It was a proud moment when we made India polio free; it shall be just as proud a moment when we make India COVID-19 free #LargestVaccineDrive @MoHFW_India @UNICEFIndia #largestVaccinationdrive JAI HIND," Bachchan, who was the UNICEF goodwill ambassador for the polio eradication campaign in India, posted on Twitter.

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It was a proud moment when we made India polio free ; it shall be just as proud a moment when we make India COVID-19 free #LargestVaccineDrive
@MoHFW_India @UNICEFIndia #largestVaccinationdrive
JAI HIND

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 17, 2021

The "Gulabo Sitabo" star fronted UNICEF's campaign till the country became polio free in 2014.

Bachchan was also roped in by the central government to make people aware of preventive measures to fight COVID-19 via a caller tune.

The actor, who tested positive for the virus in July last year and recovered in over two weeks, has been actively spreading the word on coronavirus on social media since the pandemic hit the country.

Bachchan has also been supporting and promoting campaigns related to tuberculosis-free India, childhood immunisation and Clean India.