PM Modi to interact with Covid-19 jab beneficiaries, vaccinators in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with beneficiaries and vaccinators, who will share their experience of the inoculation campaign against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi on Friday. The vaccination drive has started at six centres in the city and the first shot of the vaccine was administered to a sanitary staff Rashid Khan at the Sir Sunderlal Hospital of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), according to news agency ANI.

“The interaction follows continuous dialogue and discussion by the Prime Minister with scientists, political leaders, officials and other stakeholders to proactively ensure smooth conduct of the world’s largest vaccination drive,” Modi’s office said in a statement.

As many as 10,40,014 health workers have been administered Covid-19 vaccines through 18,161 sessions till Thursday 6pm, Dr Manohar Agnani, the additional secretary in the Union health ministry said citing a provisional report. The health ministry said 187 adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) were till 6pm on the sixth day of the vaccination drive.

In the first phase of the vaccination drive, nearly 30 million health and frontline workers are being administered the shot and in the second phase, around 270 million people above 50 years of age, and those below 50 years of age with comorbidities or with a high risk of infection, will be vaccinated.

Top government officials have said that the Prime Minister, 70, is likely to be vaccinated for Covid-19 in the second phase of the immunisation programme, which may happen in March or April. “PM will take the vaccine when his turn will come after completion of the first phase,” said an official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “He himself said this in his meeting with chief ministers that politicians shouldn’t try to break the queue and only take the vaccine when their turn comes,” the official added.

India is currently administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India and known locally as Covishield, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

On Thursday, Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said vaccination will be the last nail in the coffin of Covid-19 and that it was unfortunate that some people are spreading misinformation about the vaccination for political reasons. He was referring to doubts raised by opposition leaders against the indigenously developed Covaxin, which is still in the third phase of trial.