India to begin Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 13

International Desk Published: 6 January 2021, 08:32 AM

India to begin Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 13

The first phase of immunisation will be carried out by the government that will focus on health care workers, emergency service employees and the elderly. File photo from vaccine dry run (PTI)

Days after granting emergency use approval to two Covid-19 vaccines, the Government of India has announced that the immunization drive will begin by January 13 or January 14, reports India Today.

On Sunday, the Drug Controller General of India granted AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin emergency use approval.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the government was ready to roll out the vaccine drive within 10 days from approval.

“Now since the approval has been granted, the vaccine drive will be rolled out within 10 days from that day [Sunday, January 3],” he said.

The first phase of immunisation will focus on healthcare workers, emergency service employees and the elderly.