Health workers to get Covid-19 vaccine first as it is approved to use in India: Govt

The government plans to include nearly one crore health workers in the first batch of vaccine receivers, whenever a Covid-19 vaccine is approved for use in India. This will be followed by nearly two crore frontline workers (police, security personnel, municipal workers and other essential workers), the government said on Friday.

In the third batch of vaccine receivers, the government plans to include 27 crore senior citizens.

These details were reportedly shared by the Union health ministry during the all-party meeting that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has started enrolling health workers for priority vaccination and asked all healthcare facilities (institutions, nursing homes, OPD clinics etc.) to send names of their staff.

The healthcare facilities have been asked to send their lists latest by midnight of December 5. This is applicable for both private and government-run facilities.

Earlier in the day, chairing the



all-party meeting on Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said experts believe that the wait for a Covid-19 vaccine will not be long and it may be ready in a few weeks. He asserted that the vaccination drive in India will begin as soon as scientists give the nod.

PM Modi said healthcare workers involved in treating Covid-19 patients, frontline workers, who include police personnel and municipal staff, and old people suffering from serious conditions would be vaccinated on priority.

Noting that there have been questions about the price of the Covid-19 vaccine, he said it is natural to have such queries and asserted that public health will be accorded top priority in the matter and states will be fully involved.

However, striking a note of caution, PM Modi referred to a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases in some countries and said no one knows what shape future will take as he called for adhering to "proven weapons" like use of masks and keeping social distance to keep the virus at bay.