India is beginning world’s largest Covid vaccination for frontline workers today; all you need to know

Covid vaccine in India: India is starting administering Covid-19 vaccines to frontline workers as the world’s largest vaccination programme enters a crucial second phase. The Covid vaccines inoculation for frontline workers in Mumbai is beginning from Tuesday. Earlier, the Central government has stated that around 30 crore population will be administered Covid 19 vaccines in the initial stages.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has already stated that around one crore healthcare workers, both from public and private health facilities. There would be two crore frontline workers who would receive Covid-19 vaccines. These two crore frontline workers are armed forces personnel, state, and central police personnel, home guards, Civil Defense and Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal workers, Prison staff, Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance. The Central government pledged to bear the cost of Covid vaccination for three crore healthcare and frontline workers. The rest of the 27 crore are prioritized age groups aged over 50 years and less than 50 years with co-morbidities.

Now around 3.75 lakh to 4 lakh frontline workers will be vaccinated during the second phase of Covid vaccination in Mumbai. As many as 15 hospitals and jumbo facilities will be used to administer Covid vaccines to frontline workers, according to an Indian Express report.

Which Covid vaccine will be used?

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials have said they have kept a stockpile of 2.20 lakh vaccine doses. These vaccine doses include Covishield and Covaxin. These vaccine doses will be used for both health workers and frontline workers. BMC has devised a vaccination strategy. As part of the strategy, first shots will be used to administer both frontline workers and healthcare workers instead of giving two-dose to healthcare workers. In the next 8-10 days, more stock will come, the IE report says.