IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Jan 16:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated Covid-19 vaccination centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex in North West Mumbai in presence of a large number of people on Saturday.
The CM said that this day was historic and was a revolutionary step in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. “This centre was packed with patients till a few months ago and it is the same centre which is now witnessing a historic day” the CM said.
The CM also said that the healthcare workers, who are getting the vaccine on the first day of vaccine drive, were the real heroes of the day and it is because of their efforts, the Covid-19 centres in the city are lying vacant today. However a face mask is the best vaccination and people should continue wearing the face mask, he added.
On whether the vaccine will be free for the common people, Thackeray said that the government will wait for the Centre’ s directive on the issue.
SII CEO receives “Covishield” shot
Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Pune based Serum Institute of India received the ”Covishield” shot and wished PM success in vaccine drive. “I wish India and Sri Narendra Modi ji great success in launching the world’s largest COVID vaccination roll-out. It brings me great pride that #COVISHIELD is part of this historic effort and to endorse its safety and efficacy, I join our health workers in taking the vaccine myself,” Poonawalla tweeted.
“I am delighted to her that “Covishield” , a low-cost, logistically manageable and soon to be widely available “Covid-19” vaccine, will offer protection up to 90 per cent in one type of dosage regime and 62 per cent in other dosage regime” Poonawalla tweeted.
Rangoli greets people
The staff at a hospital in Aundh in Pune made beautiful rangoli at the entrance of the health centre where coronavirus vaccine was launched on Saturday. The blue and white rangolis, with floral patterns and ‘Welcome’ written in the centre, were drawn by nurses to welcome those who will take the vaccine on the launch day.
PM launches the vaccination drive
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus via video conferencing. Describing it as “decisive victory” for the country over the coronavirus pandemic, the PM emphasized that despite the COVID-19 vaccine, no one should take the virus lightly and must continue wearing masks and maintaining social distance. “Dawai bhi, kadai bhi,” The Prime Minister said.
India has granted emergency use authorisation to two vaccines — Oxford’s “Covishield” being manufactured by the Serum Institute in India and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. Billed as the world’s largest vaccination program, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase.
The first day of an immunisation campaign, aimed at inoculating around 300,600 people. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion people, India is the world’s most populous country after China, but the government says it will not have the vaccinate everyone to achieve herd immunity.
India, which has reported the highest number of coronavirus infections after the United States, and it plans to vaccinate around 300 million people with two doses in the first six to eight months of the year.
