India to begin Covid vaccination on 16 January 

India will begin Covid vaccination drive on 16 January, reports NDTV.

Indian central government Saturday said that priority would be given to healthcare workers and the frontline workers, which are estimated to be around 30 million, followed by those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities.

Before that the country conducted two massive dry runs for Covid-19 vaccination in all of its states. The exercise checked the best way to vaccinate people against Covid-19 and plug loopholes in logistics and training.

India approved emergency use of two vaccines against the Covid-19. One is Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine and another one is locally developed vaccine COVAXIN produced by Bharat Biotech.

India Serum Institute is producing Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine. Bangladesh has already had an agreement with Serum through Beximco to get the Oxford vaccine only.

In the initial six months of the first phase, Serum will provide 50 lakh vaccine doses per month to Bangladesh through Beximco.

After the vaccine arrives in Bangladesh, Beximco will initially use its own cold chain to store the doses. Later, the company will deliver the vaccine to designated state-owned warehouses.