Covid 19 vaccination drive: PM Narendra Modi to meet chief ministers of all states today to discuss preparedness, vaccine rollout

Ahead of Covid 19 vaccination drive across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet chief ministers of all the states today, January 11, via video conferencing. The vaccination drive across India is all set to start from January 16. This meeting is to discuss the ‘world’s biggest’ vaccine roll out and devise further strategies in containing the infection and chart out further course of action. The states will reportedly share the preparedness of undertaking the massive vaccination drive. He will be apprised by the CMs on the roll-out of coronavirus vaccine as well as the COVID-19 situation in their respective states.

“At 4 PM on Monday 11th January, PM Narendra Modi will interact with Chief Ministers of all states via video conferencing. They will discuss the Covid-19 situation and the vaccination rollout,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, while confirming about the virtual meet.

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The meeting of PM Modi is scheduled with the chief minsters at 4 pm on January 11.  

Meanwhile Delhi government has finalised 89 sites to roll out COVID-19 vaccination drive, said state Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

This will be the first interaction between Modi and the CMs after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) gave restricted, emergency-use approval to two vaccines - Oxford Astrazeneca’s vaccine ‘Covishield’, manufactured in India by Pune’s Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin’.

The PM has spoken at least six times with the Chief Ministers through videoconference following COVID-19 outbreak in the country at the beginning of 2020.

Three rounds of the dry run of the immunisation drive have so far been conducted across the country. There is still a week’s time to improve on the weak areas identified during these drills.

Under India’s vaccination drive, one crore healthcare workers and two crore frontline workers would be inoculated in the first phase. The Centre plans to also vaccinate 27 crore other persons who are at a greater risk of contracting the virus.

PM-CARES ((Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund may be used to purchase the vaccines. The government had earlier allocated Rs 100 crore from the fund for the development of vaccines.

Meanwhile, training for the vaccination drive has been almost done in all states and doctors, nurses and pharmacists are ready to vaccinate the beneficiaries.

As per the plan, around five vaccine officers would be deployed at each vaccination centre -- one to check registration status of beneficiaries, another to verify documents, and three others to manage crowds and do other necessary works.

On January 3, intramuscular vaccines ‘Covaxin’ and ‘Covishield’ were approved for restricted emergency use in India. Both are two-dose vaccines.