PM Modi asks social, religious groups to involve in controlling rumours regarding Covid-19 vaccine

The Centre will bear the cost of vaccinating three crore healthcare and frontline workers against Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Monday.

As a section of health ministers expressed concerns over Covaxin developed by indigenous vaccine maker Bharat Biotech, the Prime Minister said the two “made in India” vaccines were developed as per the country’s needs.

He also directed state authorities to ensure no rumours were spread regarding vaccination. “Social, religious groups need to be involved in this,” Modi said.

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“Our experts have taken all precautions to provide the countrymen with effective vaccines,” Modi said addressing a meeting of chief ministers on the Covid-19 vaccination drive that is set to begin on January 16.

The Prime Minister said that health workers – government as well as private – sanitation workers, other frontline workers, defence forces, police and paramilitary forces will be vaccinated in the first phase.

“Centre, not states, will bear expenses for first-phase vaccination of three crore corona warriors and frontline workers,” Modi said.

“In the second phase, those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be vaccinated,” he said adding that more vaccines were expected to be available during this phase.

The Prime Minister said that the most important factor in this vaccination drive was identification and monitoring of those who need to be vaccinated.

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With the help of Aadhaar, beneficiaries will be identified as well as timely second dosage will be ensured, he said and underlined the significance of ensuring that real time data related to vaccination gets uploaded on Co-Win software.

He said the Co-Win software would issue a digital vaccination certificate immediately after a person receives the first shot of immunisation and also send a reminder for the second dose.

Earlier this month, India's drugs regulator had approved two vaccines – Oxford-AztraZeneca's Covishield and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech – for restricted emergency use in the country.

Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singhdeo had expressed apprehension over the homegrown Covaxin and said the state government would prefer to carry out the vaccination drive using Covishield.