India is set to initiate the world's largest vaccination program on January 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. The PM chaired a high-level meeting with the chief ministers and administrators of all states/UTs to discuss the rollout.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Covid-19 dashboard, India has 2,22,526 active cases of infection. As many as 1,00,92,909 patients have been discharged after undergoing treatment while the novel coronavirus has claimed 1,15,160 lives across the country to date.

On January 2, the Central Drugs and Standards Committee (CDSCO) approved the University of Oxford's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for emergency use in India. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday urged all its 3.5 lakh members to get vaccinated against Covid-19 to demonstrate to the world that the vaccines approved for emergency use in India are safe and efficacious.

SII fixes price, begins shipping
Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) fixed the price for each dose of its Covid-19 vaccine Covishield at Rs 200 (Rs 210 with GST). The vaccine manufacturer dispatched the first doses of Covishield on Monday.

The HLL Lifecare Limited, a PSU, placed a purchase order with the SII on behalf of the Government of India for 1.1 crore doses of the vaccine while committing to procure 4.5 crore more by April of this year. These orders will cost the Union Government Rs 1,176 crore at the current rates.

30 crore to be vaccinated in the next few months: PM
During his address on Monday, PM Narendra Modi said India will approve more vaccines in the second phase of the vaccination drive. While asserting that the Centre will bear the cost of vaccinating 3 crore health care and frontline workers in the first phase, the Prime Minister added, "We would have been in a problem had we only depended on vaccines coming from other countries, they are very expensive. Our vaccines are more cost-effective."

Indians aged above 50 and those with comorbidities will get the vaccine in the second phase, the PM said.

During his meeting with chief ministers on Monday, the Prime Minister urged political leaders not to jump the queue and get the life-saving jab when their turn comes. "India aims to achieve vaccination for 30 crore people in the next few months," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/india-to-begin-world-s-largest-vaccination-drive-each-shot-to-cost-rs-200-top-developments-1758149-2021-01-12