Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout: PM Modi to meet CMs on Monday to discuss Covid vaccination strategy

New Delhi, Jan 08: Ahead of COVID-19 vaccine rollout in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual meeting with chief ministers of all states and Union Territories on January 11.

The meeting to discuss vaccine rollout comes days after the country's drug regulator approved restricted emergency use of two vaccines against Covid - Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

The prime minister has often spoken with state chief ministers following the pandemic's outbreak in the country.

India's drugs regulator has approved Oxford vaccine Covishield, being manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.

Meanwhile, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan hailed the scientists and doctors for their work in the field of COVID-19 vaccine development and said vaccines will be provided to the people of the country in the next few days.

Vardhan said, "In a short period of time, India has done well by developing vaccines. In the next few days, in the near future, we should be able to give these vaccines to our countrymen. It will be given to our healthcare professional followed by frontline workers."

"We've ensured that every detail is conveyed to the people from the national level to the grassroots level. Lakhs of healthcare workers trained and the process continues," Vardhan said.

A dry run was carried out in eight districts on December 28-29 and the first countrywide drill was held on January 2. On Friday, second round of the mock drill was conducted in as many as 33 states in the country.