Manmohan Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman take Covid vaccine

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 4

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and wife Gursharan Kaur on Thursday took the first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Singh took the shot at AIIMS which is stocking the made-in-India COVAXIN for administration.

Singh took the vaccine shot soon after the phase three efficacy data for COVAXIN became available showing the shot to be 81 per cent effective and at par with other global frontrunners.

Singh is the topmost Congress leader yet to take his vaccine shot.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, although eligible, has not got inoculated so far.

Singh is 88-years-old, while Sonia is 74. 

Got my first dose of the vaccination against COVID-19 this morning," Sitharaman tweeted.

She also thanked sister Ramya PC for her "care and professionalism".

"Fortunate to be in India, where development and dissemination has been prompt and affordable," she added.

The government on Wednesday had announced that everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to get COVID-19 vaccine from March 1, for free at government facilities and for a charge at many private hospitals.

Citizens can register and book an appointment for vaccination using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal or through the Aarogya Setu app.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad have also got vaccinated against COVID so far. PTI