Indian PM Modi to get Covid-19 vaccine in 2nd phase of inoculation drive: Report

India authorised two vaccines this month for emergency use. PHOTO: AFP

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get a coronavirus shot in the second phase of the country's inoculation campaign, broadcaster NDTV reported on Thursday (Jan 21), citing sources, as many states struggle to meet targets partly due to fears over possible side effects.

India authorised two vaccines this month for emergency use at home, one licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca and another developed at home by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research. Both are manufactured locally.

At least two other vaccines are expected to be authorised by India in the next few months.

India initially will ship only the AstraZeneca vaccine, made by the Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest vaccine maker, which brands the shot as Covishield.

India, which has reported the highest number of coronavirus infections after the United States, has so far vaccinated 786,842 front-line workers after starting the campaign on Saturday (Jan 16), the federal health ministry said on Wednesday (Jan 21).

The world's second-most populous country reported on Wednesday 13,823 new cases, taking the total to 10.9 million.

The number of deaths from the disease rose by 162 to 152,718, data from the health ministry showed.

The government has urged front-line workers not to refuse the vaccines, after almost all states failed to meet their targets in the first few days of the immunisation drive.

Fearing side effects, many people have declined to take the shots, especially the Bharat Biotech vaccine, whose efficacy data from late-stage trials are not known.

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