This was coming as the death toll all over surpassed 2 million with no sign of stopping soon.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed healthcare workers through a video conferencing where he said the country is prioritising nurses, doctors and others on the front line before government officials. He also implored his citizens to adhere to the safety protocol put in place.
He said, "We are launching the world’s biggest vaccination drive and it shows the world our capability.
"Please do not start being careless once you get vaccinated, do not take off your mask or forget social distancing".
India gave the nod for emergency use of two vaccines: one developed by Oxford University and UK-based drug-maker AstraZeneca, and another by Indian company Bharat Biotech on January 4. Cargo planes flew 16.5 million shots to different Indian cities last week.
However, medical experts have bemoaned lack of scientific reliability, as the government hasty approach may put citizens at other unwanted risk.
At least one state health minister has opposed its use.
According to Dr SP Kalantri – director of a rural hospital in Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit state – such an approach was worrying because he said regulatory approval was hasty and not backed by science.
"In a hurry to be populist, the government [is] taking decisions that might not be in the best interest of the common man," Kalantri said.
Although it falls behind the U.S and Brazil in death toll, the country remain the second most affected nation after the U.S.
In a race to curtail the spread, more than 35 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, according to the University of Oxford.
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