India started COVID-19 vaccination with COVAXIN on?

Appeared in: NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

Explanation

India's nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive was officially launched on 16 January 2021.
The initial phase of the vaccination program utilized two vaccines: Covishield (Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech).
The first priority group to receive the vaccine included healthcare and frontline workers, who were at the highest risk of exposure.

Option B: 18 January 2021 was a date when vaccination sessions were ongoing, but it was not the official launch date of the national program.
Option C: 20 January 2021 was after the official start of the vaccination drive.
Option D: 22 January 2021 was also a date during the initial phase but not the first day of the campaign.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Launch of COVID-19 Vaccination in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses were central to the vaccination drive, responsible for vaccine administration, maintaining the cold chain (2-8°C for both Covaxin and Covishield), and managing session sites.
A critical nursing role was monitoring for and managing Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI), requiring a 30-minute observation period post-vaccination and readiness with an anaphylaxis kit.
Patient education was vital. Nurses had to explain the vaccine type, schedule, potential side effects, and the importance of completing the dosage schedule and continuing COVID-appropriate behavior.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question about a significant public health event.
First, identify the core question: the start date of India's COVID-19 vaccination.
Scan the options, which are all close dates in the same month and year, indicating the need for a precise answer.
Recall or use general knowledge of recent history to identify the specific date of this major national event.
Select the option that matches the official launch date. The other dates are distractors representing subsequent days of the program.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.