Prime Minister Narendra Modi will roll out one of the world’s biggest Coronavirus vaccination drives in the country through video conferencing on Saturday.
On the inaugural day, around 3,006 session sites across the country will be virtually connected and nearly 100 beneficiaries would be vaccinated at each session.
The vaccination programme, aimed at inoculating 3 crore health and other frontline workers first, will use shots manufactured in India – one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, the other by Bharat Biotech with the country’s top clinical research body.
Health workers, people over 50 and those deemed at high-risk are prioritised to receive one of the two approved vaccines.
Earlier, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said, “Tomorrow (Saturday) is an important day…it is the last phase of the battle against coronavirus. I say this is probably the beginning of the end of Covid now which is going to start tomorrow.” He also added that even with the vaccine, all safety protocols must be maintained.
The government also said that adequate doses of both Covishield and Covaxin have been delivered across to all states and UTs, which have been further delivered to all the districts. “All preparations are in place to initiate the programme on the principles of Jan Bhagidari,” said a government statement.
All states and UTs will have multiple session sites or centres at district level. There will be a registration and waiting room, a vaccination zone and an observation room.
Once the beneficiary reaches the site at the designated time and date, they will produce identification documents. When they are verified, they will be sent to the vaccination room where they will receive the shot. After the shot the beneficiary will have to wait in the observation room and will be under observation for 30 minutes. There are emergency kits and ambulances on site.
In the first phase, 30 crore health workers, frontline workers and senior citizens will be vaccinated. All the beneficiaries will be registered on the CoWIN app. Only beneficiaries who have registered on the app will be allowed to visit the centre.
