PM Modi launches India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive — cautions people against lowering their guard, says taking two doses is ‘important’

• Today, Prime Minister Modi launched the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination programme in India.
• Over 3 lakh healthcare workers will be inoculated on the first day of the much-anticipated drive.
• Modi reminded people that they should not lower their guard after the first dose of vaccine and the second dose is necessary for the body to develop immunity against the virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (January 16) launched the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination programme in India via video conferencing.

He reminded people that they should not lower their guard after the first dose of vaccine “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” said Modi.

“I want to remind people of the country that two doses of the Corona vaccine are very important. Experts have said that there should be a gap of one month between both vaccinations. The body will develop the necessary strength against the COVID-19, two weeks after the second dose” he added.

Over 3 lakh healthcare workers will be inoculated on the first day of the much-anticipated drive. And adequate doses of the two made-in-India vaccines (Covishiled and Covaxin) have been delivered to all states and Union Territories in the past week.

Modi hailed the scientists and the medical workers who played a crucial role in developing the COVID-19 vaccine and said, “All scientists and those in the medicine fraternity deserve congratulations who kept working tirelessly to make the vaccine. They didn’t see day or night, or festivals. Usually, it takes years to make a vaccine and these people in such a short time prepared two ‘made in India’ vaccines.”

Watch PM Modi's speech here:

A total of 3,006 session sites across all states and union territories were virtually connected during the launch by PM Modi and around 100 beneficiaries were vaccinated at each session site.

The vaccination drive has been planned in a phased manner, identifying priority groups. Healthcare workers, both in government and private sectors, including ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) workers, will receive the vaccine during this phase, the health ministry had earlier said in a statement.

According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers, and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities.

“Healthcare workers across the country in public and private hospitals will get vaccinated. After that, police, firefighters and others will be vaccinated. India has vaccines to inoculate up to 30 crore people and the cost will be borne by the central government,” said Modi.

Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College Principal Sudhir Bhandari will be the first person in Rajasthan to be given the shot, while in Madhya Pradesh, a hospital security guard and an attendee will be among the first to get the jab.

What is Co-WIN app?

The vaccination programme will use Co-WIN, an online digital platform developed by the Union Health Ministry, which will facilitate real-time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualised tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine.

This digital platform will assist programme managers across all levels while conducting vaccination sessions, the PMO said. A dedicated 24x7 call centre — 1075 — has also been established for addressing the queries related to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software.

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