New Delhi: It seems the long wait for COVID-19 vaccine is all set to end soon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the experts believe that the vaccine is likely to be ready in a few weeks and the vaccination drive in India will begin soon after scientists give their nod.
However, as per Health Ministry sources, the Covid-19 vaccine will be first given to about one crore health workers from both the public and private sectors, and then to about two crore frontline workers, which includes police personnel and municipal staff, and old people suffering from serious conditions.
Noting that there have been questions about the price of the Covid-19 vaccine, the PM said, "It is natural to have such queries and asserted that public health will be accorded top priority in the matter and states will be fully involved."
The PM further said, "Nearly eight vaccine candidates are at different stages of trial with their manufacturing assured in India. Also, three from India are at different stages of the trial."
Meanwhile, on the vaccine efficacy, the Department of Biotechnology secretary Renu Swarup said that it is important to have a large basket of COVID-19 vaccines as it is really difficult to know which one is going to be the best among the lot.
She said that the vaccines that are being developed indigenously are on different platforms and each has its own benefits and challenges.
At the meeting, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke on behalf of the Congress, while Sudip Bandyopadhyay from the TMC, Sharad Pawar of the NCP, Nama Nageswara Rao from the TRS and Vinayak Raut from the Shiv Sena also expressed their views regarding COVID-19 vaccine and its distribution at the meeting.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan were also present in the meeting.
Notably, this was the second all-party meeting called by the government to discuss the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.