India starts huge vaccine drive as European rollout stutters

A nurse performing Hindu prayers to a box containing Covid-19 vaccines upon its arrival at a government Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. India started inoculating health workers Saturday in what is likely the world's largest Covid-19 vaccination campaign, joining the ranks of wealthier nations where the effort is already well underway. - AP

NEW DELHI, Jan 16 (AFP): India kicked off one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccination drives on Saturday (Jan 16), as US drugs giant Pfizer moved to calm fears in Europe about delays to deliveries of their vaccine.

The United Nations is intensifying its push to speed up vaccine rollout globally, particularly to poorer countries, as officially recorded virus deaths surge past two million.