Chennai: India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive is scheduled to start on 16 January with priority given to an estimated three crore healthcare workers and the frontline workers, the Health Ministry said Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired a high level meeting, tweeted, “On 16th January, India takes a landmark step forward in fighting COVID-19. Starting that day, India’s nation-wide vaccination drive begins. Priority will be given to our brave doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers including Safai Karamcharis.”
Priority will be given to around one crore healthcare workers and two crore frontline staff, like doctors, community health workers and police, who are directly involved in fighting the pandemic. The vaccine will be free of cost for this group, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said last week.
The government has scheduled to start the drive just after the forthcoming festivals such as Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu, among others.