E-Paper
India's vaccines enjoy global credibility because of their track record: PM Modi
Health workers, people over 50 and those deemed at high-risk are prioritised to receive one of the two approved vaccines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India's vaccines enjoy global credibility because of their track record as he launched the biggest vaccination drive of the world.
"Today when we take a look at the last year, we realise that we have learnt a lot as a person, a family and as a nation," PM Modi said.
He said the coronavirus disease kept people away from their families. "The mothers cried for their children and had to stay away. People could not meet their elderly admitted at hospitals. We could not bid adieu to those with proper rituals who died due to corona," he added.
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.
Meanwhile, India's Covid-19 caseload rose to 1,05,42,841 with 15,158 people testing positive for the infection in a day, while the recoveries have surged to 1,01,79,715 , according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
The country's deaths increased to 1,52,093 with 175 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,01,79,715 pushing the national Covid-19 recovery rate to 96.56 per cent, while the Covid-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent. The Covid-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh.
