As India vaccinates its teenagers aged 12-14 beginning Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to hail the “important day” in the country’s efforts to inoculate its citizens amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the outbreak of which was reported in 2020.
Modi also traced the country’s journey from the time the pandemic began and scientists, innovators, and the private sector rose to the occasion to make the vaccines, to the time India began its vaccination drive, with it later being expanded to cover people of different age groups.
“Today is an important day in India’s efforts to vaccinate our citizens. Now onwards, youngsters in the 12-14 age group are eligible for vaccines and all those above 60 are eligible for precaution doses. I urge people in these age groups to get vaccinated,” Modi wrote in a long thread on Twitter.
Calling India’s vaccination drive, which is said to be the largest in the world, “science-driven”, Modi added, “We began work to create vaccines in early 2020, to protect our citizens and strengthen our fight against the pandemic.”
“The manner in which our scientists, innovators and the private sector rose to the occasion is commendable. In late 2020, I had visited three of our vaccine manufacturers and got firsthand details of their efforts to protect our citizens,” he added.
“In January 2021, we began our vaccination drive for doctors, healthcare and frontline workers. The aim was to ensure those at the forefront of the fight against COVID get proper protection at the earliest,” Modi further wrote.
“In March 2021, vaccination was opened to those above 60 and those over 45 with comorbidities. Later, the vaccination opened for all those above 18,” he said, adding it should “make every Indian proud that the vaccines are free of cost for those who want it”.
Modi also thanked state governmentts for their support towards India’s vaccination drive. He also outlined India’s efforts in the global fight against the Covid-19 disease.
“In line with India’s ethos of caring for the entire planet, we sent vaccines to several nations under the Vaccine Maitri programme. I am glad that India’s vaccination efforts have made the global fight against COVID-19 stronger,” he said.
“Today, India has many ‘Made in India’ vaccines. We have also granted approval to other vaccines after a due process of evaluation. We are in a much better position to fight this deadly pandemic. At the same time, we have to keep following all COVID related precautions,” he added.
India has expanded its Covid-19 vaccination drive by including children in the age group of 12-14 to be vaccinated beginning today. Those above 60 years are also eligible now for the precaution dose. Only people with illnesses – above 60 years of age – were receiving booster doses earlier.