Coronavirus: ‘Will not get vaccinated now, only after priority groups,’ says Shivraj Singh Chouhan
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that state was fully prepared for the vaccination drive.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that he will not get vaccinated for coronavirus immediately and will wait till the immunisation is complete within priority groups.
“I have decided that I will not get vaccinated right now,” he tweeted, while sharing details of his address to commissioners, district collectors and superintendents of police in the state. “At first, we will ensure the vaccination of priority groups and only then my turn will come.” He also assured that all districts in Madhya Pradesh were fully prepared for the vaccination drive.
Chouhan’s comment came a day after the Drug Controller General of India approved 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.
On Saturday, nearly 75 health workers underwent dummy vaccination in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal, during the countrywide dry run of the vaccination, PTI reported, quoting an official. Around 20,000-25,000 frontline workers will be the first ones to receive vaccine in the state, the official said.
In December, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that 30 crore people, including health workers, frontline workers like police, military and sanitation staff, people above 50 years of age and those who are below the age of 50 but are have co-morbidities will be vaccinated in the first phase.
Meanwhile, India registered 16,504 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the tally to 1,03,40,469. The country’s toll rose by 214 to 1,49,649. The number of active cases have now stayed below the 3-lakh mark for 14 straight days.