Manish Kumar, a hospital cleaning worker, became the first person in India to be vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched one of the world's largest immunization campaigns to bring the pandemic under control.
Kumar received his shot at Delhi's premier All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one of 3,006 vaccination centers established around the country.
"The vaccine will give me strength and motivation to serve my hospital which has been at the forefront of taking care of coronavirus patients," Kumar said. "Since I'm feeling relieved after taking the vaccine, I think everyone should go for it."
India is prioritizing nurses, doctors and other frontline workers, and Modi had tears in his eyes as he addressed healthcare workers via video conferencing.
"The disease separated people from their families, kept mothers away from their children, and those who died of the disease couldn't even get a final goodbye from their families," Modi said.
The government said it aimed to vaccinate over 300,000 people on the first day of the campaign. However, at the end of the day, only 191,000 people had received the inoculation.
According to local TV station NDTV, government sources attributed the shortfall in numbers to considerable hesitation among people about getting the vaccine.
AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and V.K. Paul, a top COVID-19 adviser to Modi, were also given the shots in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan to boost public confidence.
"Many of them (staff) were scared. So, I went to my seniors and said I should be given the vaccine first. I wanted to prove to my colleagues that there is no need to be scared. My wife even asked me not to take the vaccine. I told her it is just an injection. After taking the dose, I asked my mother to tell my wife that I am safe," the first man receiving the shot said.
Officials stressed that the drive was successful, there were no post-vaccine hospitalizations, and the only glitches involved the "CoWin" software platform.
"Our scientists and experts were assured about the safety and efficacy of the two Made-in-India vaccines; only then did they allow the emergency use authorization. So, stay away from propaganda, rumors or misinformation," Modi said.
The government is calling its immunization campaign the biggest in the world. It plans to vaccinate around 300,600 on the first day was seen as a first step in vaccinating around 300 million people with two doses in the first six to eight months of the year.
With a population of nearly 1.4 billion people, India is the world's most populous country after China. Some 10.5 million people in India have been infected with the coronavirus, the highest number of infections after the United States. More than 151,000 have died. However, the infection rate has come down from a peak in mid-September.
India is using the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine and a government-backed vaccine developed by India's Bharat Biotech, whose efficacy is not yet known. The two vaccines are produced locally, and people cannot choose which of the vaccines they get.
First in line are some 30 million health and other frontline workers, such as those in sanitation and security, followed by about 270 million people older than 50 or deemed high-risk because of pre-existing medical conditions.
The government has already bought 11 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVISHIELD shot, produced by the Serum Institute of India, and 5.5 million of Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN.
COVISHIELD is 72 percent effective, according to the Indian drug regulator. Bharat Biotech, COVAXIN's last-stage trial results are expected by March.
While nationalist politicians are cheering COVAXIN, some health experts consider it rushed, as the vaccine has only limited, "clinical-trial mode" approval.
Meanwhile, Modi also cautioned people to stay vigilant even after receiving the vaccination. He addressed the nation on Saturday to announce the start of the mass campaign with a new motto: "Yes to vaccine, yes to caution."
(With input from agencies)