After Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has also received the vaccine shot. The information was shared by the his secretary on Twitter. He took the vaccine in Chennai, kicking off an expansion of the country’s vaccination campaign that began in mid-January with healthcare workers.
“I took my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Government Medical College, Chennai today. I will be taking the 2nd dose after 28 days,” the Vice President said on Monday in a tweet.
The Vice President, 71, also urged everyone to come forward and receive the vaccine dose to defeat the deadly virus that has wreaked havoc across the nation.
“I appeal all the eligible people to get themselves vaccinated proactively and join in the fight against novel coronavirus,” Naidu tweeted.
The vice president joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had administered the vaccine shot on Monday morning at AIIMS Delhi.
India, which has reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world after the United States, has so far vaccinated more than 12 million health and front-line workers in the first phase.
In a bid to expand the vaccination drive, now eligible to be vaccinated include people over 60, as well as those over 45 who co morbidities such as heart disease or diabetes that make coronavirus infections more dangerous.
The shots will be given for free at government hospitals, while private hospitals will charge Rs 250 for every dose.
