PM to meet CMs today to review preparedness

PM to allay any fears as the country prepares to begin its Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 16

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet all chief ministers on Monday for a review of the India’s preparedness for immunization drive and allay any fears as the country prepares to begin its Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 16.

The meeting will be the first interaction between the Prime Minister and the CMs after the Drug Controller General of India gave restricted, emergency-use approval to two vaccines — Oxford Astrazeneca’s Covishield (being locally manufactured by Serum Institute of India) and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

So far, three rounds of a vaccine dry run have been conducted across the country and there is a week’s time to improve on weak areas identified during these mock drills before the vaccination starts.

The meeting will also be attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and health minis

ter Harsh Vardhan, along with some senior officials. The vaccination programme will be overseen and managed by Centre even as state resources would be used for inoculation.

A presentation on the emergency authorization of the two vaccines will be given to the CMs and their feedback will be sought to plug any loopholes in the programme.

PM Modi has been in constant touch with states and all political parties since the Covid-19 pandemic started spreading in India last year, and has maintained that the vaccination drive will be conducted based on suggestions from states. At the meeting, the leaders will also discuss steps to be taken to tackle any attempts at rumour mongering and misinformation around the vaccine.