COVID-19 vaccination drive set to begin today; will be 'beginning of end' of pandemic, says Harsh Vardhan On the eve of the vaccine rollout, Harsh Vardhan reviewed the preparations and visited the dedicated COVID -19 control room set up in premises of the health ministry FP Staff January 16, 2021 00:01:23 IST Representational image. AP The Centre and state governments are set to carry out the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination programme on Saturday (16 January) for three lakh healthcare workers. The Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that the extensive exercise is "probably the beginning of the end of COVID-19 " in the country. A total of 3,006 session sites across the country will be virtually connected during the launch at 10.30 am by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.