Explained: India announces Covid vaccination launch date; who's first in line?

The Government of India announced the launch date of its mass immunisation programme against Covid-19.

The vaccinations will begin on January 16, 2021.

On January 3, India's drug regulator DCGI had cleared 2 vaccines - Covaxin and Covishield - for emergency use.

Covaxin, made by Bharat Biotech, will be used under clinical trial conditions, as per the government.

Covishield was developed by Oxford university and pharma major AstraZeneca, and is being made in India by Serum Institute of India (SII).

Around 30 crore people are being targeted for vaccination in phase 1.

These include healthcare staff, frontline workers like police, those aged above 50, and those aged below 50 but with co-morbidities.

Watch the full video for more.