As Tamil Nadu is two days away from unveiling the COVID-19 vaccination drive, state health minister Vijayabaskar has made a major announcement that he is ready to take the dose of the vaccine to ally fears among people. Tamil Nadu will begin the vaccination drive on January 16 so does the rest of the nation and the initial phase of the largest drive will be covering the frontline workers across the country. 

India will be vaccinating nearly three crore frontline workers and all the states are dispatching the vaccines across their territories to have a medical breakthrough in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami will be beginning the vaccination drive in Madurai on January 16, and on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabaskar had begun the distribution of the Covishield vaccine from Trichy to neighboring districts. 

During the distribution, the Health Minister appealed to people not to spread rumors on the complications of the vaccine against COVID-19 and vowed that he is ready to take the dose to prove the result. Vijayabaskar green-flagged the vehicles loaded with the Covishield vaccine from the regional vaccine center in Trichy and addressing the reporters, he said that the research using the Covishield and Covaxin in the government hospitals in Tamil Nadu showed no adverse effects to any of the people. 

He stated that two vaccines were tested in the government hospital and asserted that no one being tested on the vaccines had complications and he called the vaccination drive the proud moment that India's indigenous vaccines are now ready. The health minister had expressed his willingness to take the shot to prove the efficacy and reliability of the vaccines. He said that he can take the shot but he should not as per the guidelines as the vaccine is meant for frontline workers. 

By citing the guidelines, the health minister said that he will get the vaccine by taking permission if it is necessary. According to reports, Vijayabaskar has instructed the health authorities to ensure none of the frontline workers across the state are forced to take the vaccine on Saturday. He also clarified to the people that no one should be under the impression that the anti-bodies will be developed in the body as soon as the vaccine is taken. The health minister said that the second dose will be after 28 days after the first dose and the immunity will develop 14 days after the second dose. 

Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India had approved the vaccines - Covishield developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech, for emergency use and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the vaccination drive will begin in India on January 16 and initially, three crore frontline workers will be vaccinated following which people above 50 years will be vaccinated. 

The Central government said that it will bear the cost and expenses of vaccinating three crore people and India prepares for the largest vaccination drive amid the objections from the health experts and oppositions that these vaccines are approved with the lack of data of their efficacy.