<p>India is urgently preparing a database of all government and private health personnel to quickly vaccinate them against the novel coronavirus once it is safe to do so, health authorities said on Friday.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to provide any successful vaccine to each of India's 1.3 billion people, but frontline health workers would be the first to get the shots.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/russias-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine-to-first-be-tested-on-100-indians-report-905822.html" target="_blank">Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to first be tested on 100 Indians: Report</a></strong></p>.<p>The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is aiming to vaccinate 200 million to 250 million people by July.</p>.<p>"Vaccine would be supplied by the government of India to all states for free," Pradipta Mohapatra, the top health bureaucrat of Odisha state who attended a video conference with federal health officials, told <em>Reuters</em>.</p>.<p>"First to be vaccinated are the health workers both in government and private sector. The policy is uniform for the whole country."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/business-news/dr-reddys-to-shut-key-plants-after-data-breach-905471.html" target="_blank">Dr Reddy's to shut key plants after data breach</a></strong></p>.<p>Mohapatra said states would have to provide details of such workers to the federal government by next Friday.</p>.<p>India has the world's highest vaccine-making capacity and the privately held Serum Institute of India has pledged to make up to 200 million Covid-19 doses for poorer countries, including India, next year. It has contracts to mass-produce vaccine candidates from AstraZeneca Plc and Novavax Inc.</p>.<p>While preparations for a possible vaccine roll-out gather pace, India's recorded rise in infections has slowed since reaching a peak on Sept. 17.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-has-set-aside-7-billion-to-vaccinate-world-s-second-biggest-population-905653.html" target="_blank">India has set aside $7 billion to vaccinate world’s second biggest population </a></strong></p>.<p>It reported 54,366 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 7.8 million. It has the second highest number of reported infections after the United States.</p>.<p>On Friday, Modi held his first election rally since the virus took hold in the country in March, drawing thousands of cheering supporters standing shoulder to shoulder and ignoring social distancing rules.</p>.<p>Other politicians including opposition Congress party's Rahul Gandhi also attended big rallies in the eastern state of Bihar, where local elections start in phases from next week.</p>
<p>India is urgently preparing a database of all government and private health personnel to quickly vaccinate them against the novel coronavirus once it is safe to do so, health authorities said on Friday.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to provide any successful vaccine to each of India's 1.3 billion people, but frontline health workers would be the first to get the shots.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/russias-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine-to-first-be-tested-on-100-indians-report-905822.html" target="_blank">Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to first be tested on 100 Indians: Report</a></strong></p>.<p>The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is aiming to vaccinate 200 million to 250 million people by July.</p>.<p>"Vaccine would be supplied by the government of India to all states for free," Pradipta Mohapatra, the top health bureaucrat of Odisha state who attended a video conference with federal health officials, told <em>Reuters</em>.</p>.<p>"First to be vaccinated are the health workers both in government and private sector. The policy is uniform for the whole country."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/business-news/dr-reddys-to-shut-key-plants-after-data-breach-905471.html" target="_blank">Dr Reddy's to shut key plants after data breach</a></strong></p>.<p>Mohapatra said states would have to provide details of such workers to the federal government by next Friday.</p>.<p>India has the world's highest vaccine-making capacity and the privately held Serum Institute of India has pledged to make up to 200 million Covid-19 doses for poorer countries, including India, next year. It has contracts to mass-produce vaccine candidates from AstraZeneca Plc and Novavax Inc.</p>.<p>While preparations for a possible vaccine roll-out gather pace, India's recorded rise in infections has slowed since reaching a peak on Sept. 17.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-has-set-aside-7-billion-to-vaccinate-world-s-second-biggest-population-905653.html" target="_blank">India has set aside $7 billion to vaccinate world’s second biggest population </a></strong></p>.<p>It reported 54,366 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 7.8 million. It has the second highest number of reported infections after the United States.</p>.<p>On Friday, Modi held his first election rally since the virus took hold in the country in March, drawing thousands of cheering supporters standing shoulder to shoulder and ignoring social distancing rules.</p>.<p>Other politicians including opposition Congress party's Rahul Gandhi also attended big rallies in the eastern state of Bihar, where local elections start in phases from next week.</p>