Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that he has taken the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the AIIMS. In a tweet, he implored all eligible candidates to get vaccinated.
Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 1, 2021
Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19.
I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free! pic.twitter.com/5z5cvAoMrv
"Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19," he tweeted. "I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!" Modi said.
Vaccination efforts have redoubled in the country after statistics showed a steady updrift in the numbers. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Director General Shekhar C. Mande had warned that the COVID-19 crisis was far from being over and allowing a "third wave" by lowering our guard is fraught with grave consequences. "Also, continued collaboration across institutions was necessary to come out of the current situation as well as ward off catastrophic situations arising out of climate change and over dependence on fossil fuels which had the potential to wipe out the entire humanity," he said.
Mande clarified that India is nowhere near achieving herd immunity and as such people should continue to wear masks and maintain social distancing and hand hygiene to stay away from getting infected by the virus. Cautioning the people and the scientific community against allowing "complacency to set in," he warned that a third wave would precipitate a far more dangerous situation than the challenge the country had faced so far.
The next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive for people above 60 years and those aged 45 and above with comorbidities will begin from March 1and registration on the Co-WIN2.0 portal will open at 9am on Monday. Citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal or through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu. Registration will open at 9am on March 1 at www.cowin.gov.in, the ministry said. All citizens that are aged, or will attain the age of 60 or more as on January 1, 2022 are eligible to register, in addition to all such citizens that are aged, or will attain the age of 45 to 59 years as on January 1, 2022, and have any of the specified 20 comorbidities.
