One year of vaccination drive: Near 158-cr jabs administered

A year after the vaccination drive took off, India has administered over 157.70 crore doses to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Around 93% of the adult population has been vaccinated with the first dose and 70% with the second dose of the vaccine, according to the Union health ministry.

India’s vaccine drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021, and three vaccines – Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik – are being administered. The 100-crore mark was reached on October 21 last year and the 150-crore mark on January 7. The highest single-day vaccination of 2.5 crore vaccines was achieved on September 17, 2021.

In the last 365 days, 91.07 crore of the first doses and 65.63 crore second doses have been administered. Till Sunday evening, 43.10 lakh precautionary doses had been administered and 3.44 crore children in the 15-18 age group had received their vaccine. Nearly 135.61 crore of the Covid-19 vaccines administered in the country were Serum Institute of India’s Covishield doses while 21 crore were Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin doses. Till date,11 states and Union Territories have achieved 100% first dose vaccination. Three states/UTs have achieved full vaccination. Total registrations on the Co-Win digital platform are nearing the 100-crore mark.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s vaccination programme had added great strength to the fight against Covid-19 and it has led to saving lives and protecting livelihoods. He saluted the people associated with the vaccination on completion of the one-year drive and said the role of our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers is exceptional. “Today, as we celebrate one year of the world’s Largest Vaccine Drive, we have witnessed what happens when 1.3 billion people come together for a common goal,” the PM said.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic first struck, we did not know much about the virus. However, our scientists and innovators immersed themselves in developing vaccines.” he said.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya released a commemorative postal stamp on the first anniversary of India’s National Covid Vaccination programme. The stamp features a healthcare worker inoculating a senior citizen with the Covid-19 vaccine along the image of a Covaxin vial. Mandaviya credited the indigenous research and development, streamlined production and distribution of vaccines for reaching this landmark amidst the environment of criticism, doubts, disbelief and misinformation in the country. Till date, eight vaccines have been approved in the country, the minister said.