Saturday (16 January) marked a historic day for India as the country kicked off the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccination drive since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The drive began with a frontline sanitation worker at Delhi AIIMS, Manish Kumar, who received the first jab against the deadly respiratory and infectious disease.
Kumar was inoculated in the presence of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. All India Institute of Medical Sciences Director Dr Randeep Guleria also received the vaccine shot.
Delhi: A sanitation worker becomes the first person to receive COVID-19 vaccine jab at AIIMS. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan is also present. pic.twitter.com/iDIVIKqvEi— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2021
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tweeted by saying: "Launch of the #LargestVaccineDrive. Let us defeat COVID-19."
Launch of the #LargestVaccineDrive. Let us defeat COVID-19. https://t.co/FE0TBn4P8I— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 16, 2021
Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik's sand art for the vaccine drive soon went viral across the platform.
My SandArt at Puri beach to welcome #LargestVaccineDrive with message “Together we can win “. pic.twitter.com/n9uaS4G6ln— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) January 16, 2021
Microblogging site Twitter was soon flooded with congratulatory messages for the country as the vaccination drive against COVID-19 was underway.
Congratulations India for the landmark launch of nationwide #COVID19 vaccination drive today. Let's hope it comes as an answer to pacify all the sufferings we have endured this pandemic. #LargestVaccineDrive #NarendraModi— Vedant Birla (@birla_vedant) January 16, 2021
Congratulations India 🎊🎊A step towards progress 🇮🇳 #MakeInIndia #VaccineForIndia pic.twitter.com/C9eoLCoRH1— Just Another Programmer 👩💻 (@CodeKumar) January 16, 2021
Congratulations INDIA 🇮🇳#LargestVaccineDriveBeginning of an End!!Go corona go would be a reality soon. pic.twitter.com/hcwXm0UONa— Pragya Singh Sisodia (@pragya_sisodia) January 16, 2021
Largest Vaccine Drive Starts TodayCongratulations India— Guru Samy (@WellSaidGuru) January 16, 2021
Congratulations India🙏 pic.twitter.com/LmzVb88jxh— Shaviraj (@singh_shaviraj) January 16, 2021
Congratulations India for the landmark launch of nationwide #COVID19 vaccination drive today. Thank you PM @narendramodi Ji 🙏#LargestVaccineDrive pic.twitter.com/qxk0l3OXw8— আর নয় অন্যায় (@TapashK99220922) January 16, 2021
#LargestVaccineDriveProud to be an indian.... 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏.... Jai hind.. Congratulations india.. Its all credit goes to medical scientist.. @SerumInstIndia @BharatBiotech u did a great job pic.twitter.com/LCWfb7XTVk— Sai124 (@Sai74084179) January 16, 2021
Congratulations India for the landmark launch of nationwide #COVID19 vaccination drive today. #LargestVaccineDrive #NarendraModi— Arvind Mishra (@arvindmishra089) January 16, 2021
India on Saturday launched the world's largest vaccination drive against the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 1.3 million lives, sunk economies, shuttered businesses, and shattered daily life the world over.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-government had granted approval to two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, developed by the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, respectively. In the first phase of the drive, 3 crore people will be vaccinated on priority.
