PM Modi launches Covid-19 vaccination drive “After taking vaccine don’t neglect wearing mask and social distancing should continue”

New Delhi: Launching the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated scientists and researchers who were engaged in development of the vaccines and said this shows India’s scientific talent.
PM Modi said development of any vaccine is generally a time-taking process but vaccines against Covid-19 have been developed in record time.
“In such a short time span, India has been able to develop two vaccines against Covid-19. This is a testimony to the scientific talent of our country,” PM Modi said.

In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister said people need to maintain patience during the vaccination drive. “This is the first time in history that a vaccination drive is being conducted at such large scale. There are over 100 countries whose population is less than 3 crore, while in the first phase of the vaccination itself, India would be vaccinating 3 crore people,” PM Modi said.

He added that this figure will be increased to 30 crore by the time the second phase of vaccination is over.
The prime minister said only China, India and the US have a population of more than 30 crore and the number of people who would be vaccinated in the first two phases outline the scale of India’s vaccination drive.
Seeking to address concerns over vaccine safety, the PM said India’s vaccine infrastructure enjoys global credibility and people should guard themselves against propaganda and misinformation.
“We have earned our credibility through our track record. Most children in the world get their vaccine shots from the vaccines made in India. The world’s trust is on our ‘Made in India’ vaccines will rise soon. The Indian Covid-19 vaccines are cheaper than foreign shots and are also easy to use. Some foreign vaccines cost close to Rs 5,000 per dose and need to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius,” he said.