New Delhi:
As India gears up to launch the world's largest immunisation drive, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said that 10 million healthcare workers and 20 million frontline workers would be given free vaccine in the first phase of the inoculation drive.
"In the first phase of vaccination, free vaccine will be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that include one crore healthcare and 2 crore frontline workers," Vardhan said in a tweet.
He, however, added, that the details of how the remaining 270 million priority beneficiaries will be vaccinated till July is getting finalised.
The central government plans to vaccinate nearly 300 million persons in the first phase of the immunisation drive.
The vaccine will be administered to 10 million healthcare workers, along with 20 million frontline and essential workers, and 270 million elderly, mostly above the age of 50 with comorbidities.
The comment is significant, given the fact that India has recorded the second highest numbers of corona infections after the United States.
Earlier in the day, the Health Minister had said that the vaccine will be free across the country. "Not just in Delhi, it will be free across the country," Vardhan said when asked for the government's position on the issue.
Vardhan said on January 2 that the COVID-19 vaccine will be provided free of cost to most prioritised beneficiaries as part of the first phase of vaccination.
“In the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, free vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that include one crore healthcare and two crore frontline workers. Details of how further 27 crore priority beneficiaries are to be vaccinated until July are being finalised,” the union minister said in a tweet.
Vaccination drill is being conducted in all states/UTs today in 116 districts across 259 sites. According to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), the objective of the dry run for COVID-19 vaccine introduction is to "assess operational feasibility in the use of COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) application in a field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide the way forward prior to actual implementation"
"I appeal to people not to pay heed to rumours. Ensuring safety and efficacy of vaccine is our priority. Different kinds of rumours were spread during polio immunisation but people took the vaccine and India is now polio-free," he said.
He also said that in the first phase of distribution of coronavirus vaccine, which would be free for all, shall be provided to most prioritised beneficiaries.
"In 1st phase of #COVID19Vaccination free #vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that incl 1 crore healthcare & 2 crore frontline workers Details of how further 27 cr priority beneficiaries are to be vaccinated until July are being finalised," the Union Health Minister wrote on Twitter.
In Delhi, the drive is being conducted at three locations – the Daryaganj primary health centre, the government-run Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, and the private Venkateshwara hospital, he added.
Notably, the coronavirus vaccine is slated to be rolled out soon as the one developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca has been recommended by an expert panel, tasked with vetting Covid-19 vaccine proposals, and forwarded to the Drug Controller General of India for approval.
On Saturday, authorities were conducting a mega drill at 259 sites in all states and union territories to help officials practise how to manage vaccine supply, storage and logistics, including cold chain management.