COVID-19 vaccine: India gears up for world's largest inoculation drive from January 16; in pics

India is gearing up for the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 (Saturday). This will be the world's largest vaccination programme covering the entire length and breadth of the country and all preparations are in place to initiate the programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch India's COVID-19 vaccination drive via video conferencing. A total of 3,006 session sites across all states and Union territories will be virtually connected during the launch and around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the first day.

The vaccination programme is based on principles of priority groups to be vaccinated first. Healthcare workers, both in the government and private sectors, including Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers, will receive the vaccine during this phase.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had earlier in January approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

A medical worker takes a look at the final Preparation Covid-19 Vaccination Drive, at Aruna Asaf Hospital in New Delhi.

Mumbai: Medics staff sit inside a vaccination booth at BKC in preparation for the first round of COVID vaccination drive scheduled to begin across the country.

A health official holds a box containing Covishield vaccine doses after a consignment of the vaccine arrived from Serum Institute of India, in Assam's Tezpur.

Workers transporting vaccines for the next COVID-19 Vaccine Drive at a vaccine store centre, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

The COVID-19 vaccine supply is being dispatched to Lahaul-Spiti district, in Kullu.

Bikaner: Workers unload the first batch of Covid vaccine at a storage facility in Bikaner, Rajasthan. 

Thane: Medics at Thane Civil Hospital as part of the preparation for the first round of COVID-19 vaccination drive scheduled to begin across the country from January 16.