Madhya Pradesh vaccine drive: My turn will come in third phase, says CM Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said he will receive the COVID-19 vaccine after corona warriors and frontline health staff "in the third phase as per the protocol set by the Centre".

He said the vaccine was completely safe and asked opposition parties not to mislead people on the coronavirus pandemic.

"The priority of vaccination has been set. The vaccine is completely safe and I will receive it when my turn comes as per protocol. I don't have any special right as CM," he told reporters.

"My turn will come in the third phase as per the protocol set by the Centre, after the vaccine is administered to corona warriors and frontline workers," he added.

Chouhan, who earlier spoke to vaccine beneficiaries at Hamidia Hospital here, asked opposition parties to not mislead people and to stay united "at least on this issue (COVID-19 fight)".

The drive, which began in 150 centres across the state, including 12 in capital Bhopal, will see 4.17 lakh health care workers getting vaccinated in the first phase, for which it had received 5,06,500 doses of Covishield vaccine so far, officials informed.

Of them, 57,000 health workers will be vaccinated in the first week of the drive, and 55,000 in the second week, state health minister Prabhuram Choudhary had said earlier.