Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination program, through video conferencing at 10.30 AM today. This pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive will cover the entire length and breadth of the country.

A total of three thousand six-session sites across all States and Union Territories will be virtually connected during the launch. Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day.

This vaccination programme is based on the principles of priority groups to be vaccinated. Health Care workers, both in government and private sectors including Integrated Child Development Services-ICDS workers will receive the vaccine during this phase.

The vaccination programme will use Co-WIN, an online digital platform developed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which will facilitate real time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualized tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine. This digital platform will assist programme managers across all levels while conducting vaccination sessions.

A dedicated 24x7 call centre, 1075 has also been established for addressing the queries related to COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software.

In the national capital, Delhi government has received 2,74000 vaccine doses from the Central government, which will cater to around 1.2 lakh healthcare workers in the first phase. A total of 81 sites have been finalized across Delhi, and around 100 people will be vaccinated in a single day at each site. Around 8000 healthcare workers will be vaccinated across Delhi on a single day initially. The vaccine will be administered four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The remaining days have been spared for the routine vaccination process.

In Assam, the stage has been set for the vaccination drive. 1,90,000 health workers or COVID Warriors will be vaccinated in the first phase at 65 session sites today.

In West Bengal, the stage is set for the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine along with other parts of the country. Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee will be supervising the immunization program virtually from the state secretariat. She is likely to visit one of the vaccination centres in Kolkata. Our Kolkata correspondent reports that multiple booths have been set up at all the five medical colleges and hospitals and at five urban primary health centres of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Doses of Covishield will be administered to health workers from 18 centres in the city. 93 thousand and 500 doses have been allocated for the city whereas 47 thousand doses have been made available for North 24 Parganas. Apart from government hospitals and healthcare centres, immunization will be done at 3 private hospitals. Adequate police personnel have been deployed around the vaccination centres and the cold chain points to ensure the safety of the vials. Meanwhile, 623 new COVID cases were registered while 656 persons have been discharged from the hospitals.16 more deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours. The recovery rate in the state stands at 96.94 percent.

In Gujarat, the COVID-19 vaccination drive will start for healthcare workers from 161 centres today along with nationwide vaccination drive. AIR Ahmedabad correspondent reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to interact with some of the beneficiaries at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital through video conferencing from New Delhi.

In Madhya Pradesh, more than two lakh 40 thousand patients have recovered from COVID infection while 429 new positive cases were reported yesterday. The corona positive rate is 1.8 percent. The state is all set for the COVID -19 vaccination drive along with the rest of the country.

In Telangana, over 4 thousand health and sanitation workers will be administered vaccine against COVID-19 today. All arrangements are in place at 140 centres across the state on the first day and 30 persons will be given the vaccine at each centre. Governor Dr Tamilesai Soundararajan and Union Minister of State for Home G Kishanreddy will be attending the formal launch of the vaccination drive. State Ministers and Public representatives will be launching the drive at each centre this morning.

In Andhra Pradesh, all arrangements have been made for the launch of the Covid-19 vaccination programme today. Chief Secretary Adityanath Das has directed the Collectors and SPs to take necessary steps for the successful conduct of the first round of the vaccination program. He said that the state had received 4.77 lakh doses of vaccine and around 3.80 lakh health workers will be given the first dose. The program is being conducted at 332 session sites across the State. He clarified that pregnant women, those over 50 years of age, those under 18 years and those suffering from comorbidities and other symptoms should not be vaccinated. Vaccine for police would be given in the second round. The District Collectors have been directed to take steps to have a session site at each village.

In Telangana, over 4 thousand health and sanitation workers will be administered a vaccine against COVID-19 today. Governor Dr Tamilesai Soundararajan and Union Minister of state for Home G Kishanreddy will be attending the formal launch of the vaccination drive. State Ministers and Public representatives will be launching the drive at each centre this morning.

In Uttar Pradesh, around 31,700 health workers will be vaccinated across 75 districts in the first phase of the vaccination drive.

In Bihar, Covid -19 vaccination programme will begin at 300 centres across the state today. The vaccine will be given first to cleanliness workers and ambulance staff at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Patna. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be present on this occasion. Thirty thousand people will be vaccinated today. Webcasting of the vaccination process will be done at 50 centres in different parts of the state. Health Minister Mangal Pandey said 4 lakh 65 thousand 160 health workers will be vaccinated during the first phase of vaccination.

In Karnataka, 24,300 health workers will be vaccinated at 243 vaccination sites today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the vaccination drive in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute. The state has 10 walk-in coolers, four walk-in freezers, 3,210 ice-lined refrigerators, 3,312 cold boxes, 46,591 vaccine carriers and 2,25,749 ice packs to store and distribute the vaccine.

In Rajasthan, all the preparations for COVID vaccination have been completed. After the Prime Minister’s Programme, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will launch a state-level vaccination program from his residence today.

In Tamilnadu, Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy will inaugurate Covid Vaccination at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai today. Covaxin and Covishield vaccines have been stored at the prescribed cold storages and have been sent to the districts.

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will launch the vaccination drive at the Covid Care centre in the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai after the nationwide drive is rolled out by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi through video conferencing. Mumbai will have 9 centres where 4000 people will be administered the vaccine daily.

In Odisha, about 16 thousand healthcare workers are lined up in about 160 session sites to receive covid-19 vaccine shots, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolls out the nationwide covid-19 vaccination drive today. Five-member teams are ready at each vaccination site to administer the vaccine to the identified beneficiaries.