NEW DELHI: India will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world's largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

The decision, the government said on Saturday, was taken at a high-level meeting where Modi reviewed the status of COVID-19 and vaccine preparedness across states and union territories.

In Kerala, 133 centers will be set up in the first phase for the distribution of vaccines. On the first day, 13,330 people will be vaccinated. The vaccine will be distributed to 100 people at each center. There are 12 centers in Ernakulam, 11 centers in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode districts and nine centers in other districts.

After healthcare and frontline workers, priority will be given to those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities, together numbering around 27 crore, a government statement said.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi tweeted that India will take a landmark step forward in fighting COVID-19 on January 16.

"Starting that day, India's nationwide vaccination drive begins. Priority will be given to our brave doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers including Safai Karamcharis (sanitation workers," the prime minister said.

India had recently granted emergency use authorisation to two vaccines, Oxford's Covishield being manufactured by Serum Institute in India and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. Both vaccines, the statement from the Health Ministry said, have established safety and immunogenicity.