New Delhi: Ahead of the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country starting from January 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India has worked in an exemplary manner to showcase federalism in the fight against the pandemic and proper dialogue between Centre and states played a major role in it. The Prime Minister said that state governments will not have to bear the expenses of COVID-19 vaccination of the health and frontline workers in the first stage.
Speaking at an interaction with chief ministers on vaccination rollout, the Prime Minister said 30 crore people will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the next few months.
He said quick decisions were taken with full sensitivity and, as a result, COVID-19 has not spread in India on the scale on which it spread in some other parts of the world.
"The proper dialogue between Centre and States has played a major role in combating COVID-19. In the fight against the COVID-19, we have worked in an exemplary manner to showcase federalism. I'm satisfied that we worked together by standing united in COVID crisis, quick decisions were taken with full sensitivity," the Prime Minister said.
He said that the priority of vaccination has been decided as per the advice of the experts and scientific community after consultation with the states, and health workers, from both government and private sector, will be the first ones to receive the vaccine. Along with them, safai karmacharis, other frontline workers, police and paramilitary personnel, home guards, disaster management volunteers and other jawans in civil defence and revenue officials associated with containment and surveillance will also receive the vaccine in the first stage.
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The Prime Minister said that the total number of such personnel is around three crore and state governments will not have to bear any cost towards vaccinating these three crore people in the first stage and the Centre will bear the expenses.
He said India will start the world's largest vaccination programme from January 16 and two Made in India vaccines have been given emergency use approval.
"We aim to vaccinate 30 crore people in the next few months. Around 3 crore healthcare workers and frontline workers will be vaccinated in the first phase of vaccination. In the second phase, those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be vaccinated," the Prime Minister said.
ANI
