Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday became the first chief minister to receive COVID-19 vaccine as the state government launched the third phase of the inoculation drive for elderly people and those with comorbidities in the age group of 45-59.
The 74-year-old Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo was administered the first dose of COVAXIN (developed by Hyderabad-based Bharath Biotech) at the Vidhan Sabha dispensary, officials said.
Sharing a picture of him getting inoculated, Patnaik tweeted, “Happy to share that I took my first dose of #COVID19 vaccine today. Grateful to our scientists, health workers for their race against time to deliver the vaccine to people.
“Appeal to all eligible people to come forward and get the vaccine for a #COVIFFreeOdisha,” he wrote.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also received the first dose of COVAXIN, developed by Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech, at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Across the country, the shots will be given at 10,000 government and over 20,000 private vaccination centers. Around 27 crore people are expected to be covered in the second phase. Of this group around 10 crore are people over 60, the union government said earlier.