Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here to kick-start India’s second phase of the immunisation drive.

Modi shared a picture of himself being administered the vaccine by two healthcare workers and tweeted, "Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19."

"Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!" he appealed to the eligible population to take the vaccine.

A statement from his office said he chose to take the shot early and was taken to AIIMS without any special route restrictions to avoid any inconvenience to the people.

He was administered the home-grown Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as India entered its second phase of inoculation for people over 60 and those above 45 with comorbidities.

(IBNS)