NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on early Monday morning took his first dose of the covid-19 vaccine at AIIMS.
Sister P Niveda, from Puducherry, administered COVAXIN vaccine manufactured by Bharat BioTech to PM Modi.
With eight states showing a spike in fresh infections, India is set to start its second phase of covid-19 vaccination from Monday, now extended to senior citizens and people aged 45 and over with co-morbidities.
“Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS," PM Modi said in a tweet.
“Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19," he said in the tweet.
This follows a lukewarm response to the first phase, which aimed to vaccinate 30 million health and other frontline workers but achieved less than half the number. The second phase target is 27 million.
“I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!" he added in the tweet.
Success of the second phase is critical to ramping up the entire programme, which now involves the private sector. In the second phase, the jabs will be free of charge at government clinics but will have to be paid for in private facilities.
In the first phase, a total of just over 14 million doses were administered, as per provisional data available on Sunday. These include 6.6 million healthcare workers (1st dose), 2.4 million HCWs (2nd dose) and 5.1 million frontline workers (1st dose). This has been put down to vaccine hesitancy among healthcare and frontline workers.
Registration for the second phase of the nationwide covid-19 vaccination drive for age-appropriate population groups will open at 9:00 AM on Monday. Citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the COWIN 2.0 portal at (www.cowin.gov.in) through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc.
All citizens that are aged, or will attain the age of, 60 years or more as on 1st January 2022 are eligible to register, in addition to all such citizens that are aged, or will attain the age of, 45 years to 59 years as on 1st January 2022, and have any of the specified 20 co morbidities.
According to the Union health ministry, there will be only one live appointment for a beneficiary at any point of time for each dose. Appointments for any date for a COVID Vaccination Center will be closed at 3:00 pm on that day for which the slots were opened.
A User Guide for the Citizen Registration and Appointment for Vaccination has also been uploaded on the websites of Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Health Authority (NHA).
Bharat BioTech has also signed an agreement with Brazil for supply of 20 million doses of its covid-19 vaccine COVAXIN and has also sought permission from the governments in Bangladesh and Myanmar to conduct clinical trials.
Bharat Biotech earlier this month also announced to sign a pact with Ocugen Inc, allowing the US-based biopharmaceutical firm to co-develop, supply, and commercialize the Indian vaccine maker’s Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin in the US market.
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