BHUBANESWAR (INDIA) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was vaccinated with the first dose of a home-grown coronavirus vaccine on Monday. With this move, he has kicked off a widening of the country’s immunisation campaign as infections showed a rise in some big states.
People above 60, and those who are 45 or more and suffering from certain medical conditions, can now go for the vaccinations. However, some inoculation centres found issues with the government’s Co-Win portal used for the coordination of the drive, which could bring down the pace of its progress.
India has so far vaccinated 12 million health and front-line workers since setting out on its immunisation programme in mid-January. It aims to complete the vaccination of 300 million of its 1.35 billion people by August.
70-year-old Modi said on Twitter, posting a picture of him getting the shot at a government hospital in New Delhi, “I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!”
The inoculation campaign has been operating slower than expected because of reluctance from the side of health and front-line workers to take COVAXIN, approved without late-stage efficacy data. Only about 11% of vaccinated people have agreed to take the product developed by Bharat Biotech and the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research.
Bharat Biotech has said efficacy data from a late-stage trial on nearly 26,000 volunteers who got shots of COVAXIN will be declared soon. The company, along with India’s drug regulator, says COVAXIN is safe and effective, determined by early and intermediate studies.
Bharat Biotech said in reply to Modi’s tweet, referring to his self-reliance pitch to back local products, “Inspired and humbled by Hon’ble PM’s remarkable commitment to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”
“Yes, we all shall fight COVID-19 together and emerge victorious.”
Initial glitches in the Co-Win portal had affected vaccination to some extent, and some of the troubles emerged again on Monday in states such as Odisha in the east and Maharashtra in the west, officials said.
Modi’s home state of Gujarat, however, said the roll-out was operating well.
Jaiprakash Shivahare, Gujarat’s commissioner of health, said, “We haven’t faced any glitches. The government of India has assured us that there is no issue of vaccine availability and asked us to use the vaccines as early as possible.”
India has reported more than 11 million coronavirus infections and over 157,000 deaths. Out of the 15,510 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, Maharashtra state reported 8,293, which was followed by Kerala’s 3,254 infections.
The health ministry reported 106 deaths in the past 24 hours, however, no fatalities have been recorded in 20 of India’s three dozen states and federal territories.
