Nagaland ready for COVID vaccination drive from Jan 16: Minister

Nagaland is all set to startCOVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 with priority to begiven to 19,960 healthcare personnel and 30,000 frontlineworkers, a minister said on Monday.

After healthcare and frontline workers, priority willbe given to those above 50 years of age and the under-50population group with comorbidities, Planning and CoordinationMinister Neiba Kronu said.

''Nagaland will launch the vaccination programme onJanuary 16. The vaccine will be made available by the Centrethrough the existing cold chain of the inoculation programmein a phased manner,'' Kronu, who is also a spokesperson for astate-level committee on COVID-19, said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted withchief ministers of all states to discuss the COVID-19situation and the vaccination roll-out in the country.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Health Minister S PangnyuPhom and other officials participated in the meeting, Kronusaid.

A total of 19,690 healthcare workers in bothgovernment and private sectors would be vaccinated in thefirst phase and the priority would also be given to around30,000 frontline workers.

Nearly 3,49,757 people who are above 50 years of age,will also be vaccinated, he said.

For vaccination of those below 50 years of age withcomorbidities, a database will be prepared, the minister said.

The country will launch its COVID-19 vaccinationdrive from January 16 in what the prime minister had calledthe world's largest inoculation programme.

India had recently granted emergency use authorisationto two vaccines, Oxford's Covishield being manufactured bySerum Institute and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

Both vaccines, according to the Union Health Ministry,have established safety and immunogenicity.