India Prepares To Launch First Massive Vaccination Program

The Washington Post: India Approves Two Vaccines As It Prepares For Massive Immunization Push
India granted emergency approval Sunday to its first vaccines — Oxford-AstraZeneca and homegrown Covaxin — as it prepares to undertake an unprecedented immunization program for the country of more than 1.3 billion. The announcement of India's approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine came days after regulators in Britain greenlighted it and marks a big step for the country that is the world's second-worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic. India aims to administer the vaccine to 300 million people in the first phase, and distribution could begin in the coming days. (Masih, 1/3)

The Hill: Russia Gives Over 800,000 People Its COVID-19 Vaccine 
Russia’s health minister on Saturday announced that more than 800,000 citizens have received the country’s coronavirus vaccine, with more than 1.5 million doses distributed. Reuters reported that the TASS news agency quoted Mikhail Murashko as saying that from Jan. 1, people who received the Sputnik V vaccine will receive an electronic verification certificate, with the health ministry maintaining a database of all those vaccinated. (Castronuovo, 1/2)

NPR: China Reports Tens Of Thousands Inoculated In First Days Of COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign
Beijing says it has inoculated more than 73,000 people in the first two days after China's first domestic coronavirus vaccine was approved for commercial use. China's capital has set up 220 vaccination centers around the city to dole out the two-step vaccine. The elderly and front-line medical workers will receive the first doses. The shots are made by a subsidiary of Chinese state vaccine maker Sinopharm, which said on Thursday that its vaccine is 79% effective overall. The company has not yet released more detailed clinical data that might explain why that rate is lower than results from human trials it conducted in the UAE, where the vaccine was deemed 86% effective. (Feng, 1/4)

Reuters: Why Indonesia Is Vaccinating Its Working Population First, Not Elderly 
As Indonesia prepares to begin mass inoculations against COVID-19, its plan to prioritize working age adults over the elderly, aiming to reach herd immunity fast and revive the economy, will be closely watched by other countries. (Widianto and Diela, 1/4)

In other global developments —

The Hill: UK Gets Rid Of Tax On Menstrual Products 
The U.K. on Friday got rid of the sales tax on menstrual products after breaking from the European Union and its tax rules regarding sanitary products. Treasury chief Rishi Sunak followed through with his March promise to remove the tax on tampons and sanitary pads, which was only possible after the U.K.’s official separation from the EU, The Associated Press reported. (Coleman, 1/1)