COVID Vaccination For Frontline Workers By 1st Week of Feb: Centre

COVID-19 vaccine. Image used for representational purpose.

(Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)

The Union Health Ministry directed all states and Union territories on Friday, 29 January, to begin the inoculation of frontline workers against coronavirus from the first week of February, reported PTI. So far, the database uploaded on India’s Co-WIN portal reflects over 61 lakh frontline workers.

In a letter, the Health Ministry Additional Secretary Manohar Agnani noted that the data of frontline workers is being updated in collaboration with the respective line ministries, and the vaccinations of healthcare providers, which first began on 16 January must continue simultaneously, reported PTI.

India is using two COVID-19 vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin – which have been allocated in sufficient quantity to all the states and UTs, and more doses will be provided in subsequent releases wrote Agnani in the letter.

"I request you to kindly direct the concerned officials to initiate requisite planning and review for initiating vaccination of frontline workers along with healthcare workers from the first week of February, 2021. Your unstinted support is prerequisite to achieve the desired acceleration and impact of COVID-19 vaccine drive," the letter stated, reported PTI.

In India, so far, since the vaccination drive first began on 16 January, there have been 29,28,053 people who have been inoculated against coronavirus.

India on Friday reported 18,855 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally in the country to 1,07,20,048. The death toll increased by 163 to 1,54,010.

According to the Union Health Ministry data, there are currently 1,71,686 active cases across the country, while 1,03,94,352 patients have been discharged so far.