India administers 100 crore vaccine doses
India races past the 100-crore vaccination mark. PM Narendra Modi visited the Delhi based Ram Manohar Lohia hospital to interact with the health care workers. He congratulated the nation and expressed gratitude to all the frontline workers.
“India scripts history.
We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians.
Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury”
-Tweeted PM Narendra Modi.
With the feat of 100 crore inoculations, twitter trended with #VaccineCentury and “Congratulations India”. Many eminent personalities congratulated the nation for its 100 crore doses. Dr VK Paul, one of government’s key faces in its fight against COVID, congratulated the nation for its achievement in under 9 months. However, he also pointed out that it is still unfinished business with only 75% of adults being inoculated with the first dose, and 30% with both the doses. He also mentioned that another 10 crore people are overdue their second dose, they should have received their second dose but they have not. We must send reminders to those individuals to get their second dose said Dr VK Paul.
According to the COWIN website, India has administered both the doses to 29 crore people, while approximately 42 crore people have been administered only with the first dose. The five states leading the vaccination drive are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya pradesh in that order. India also became only the second country to achieve the milestone of a billion doses, China achieved the feat in June.
Celebrations for the 100-crore mark
India has a series of events planned to celebrate the milestone of a 100-crore doses. Our health minister Mansukh Mandaviya will launch a song by Kailash Kher and an audio-visual film at the Red Fort. The largest khadi tricolour flag in the country will be displayed at the Red Fort, PTI reported. The same flag, weighing 1400 KGs, was recently unfurled in Leh on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October.
SpiceJet will showcase a special livery at the Delhi airport to commemorate the 100-crore vaccination mark. The health minister, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh will attend the event.
India’s journey to the 100 crore doses
India started its vaccination drive on 16th of January. It began its vaccination campaign with the vaccination of its health care workers. India started to vaccinate the frontline workers from 2nd February.
The next phase opened up the vaccination drive from 1st March. It included people over 60 years and over 45 years with specific co-morbidity. The country launched vaccination for all over 45 from 1st of April. The government later expanded the vaccination to all over 18 years of age from 1st May. In the first few phases, the vaccine doses were administered at a cost. However, post 21st June, India’s vaccination drive became completely free for all of its citizens.
India started its vaccination process with 2 vaccines approved for emergency use- Covishield by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech. But 9 months later, today, India has 3 fully approved vaccines – Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V by Gamaleya Research Institute, Russia. India’s Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) has also given emergency usage permission to 3 other vaccines – Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Zydus Cadila.
Pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila, in partnership with India’s Department of Biotechnology, developed the 3-dose vaccine, called ZyCov-D, which is authorized for use in people aged 12 years or older. This marks the first clinical use of a DNA vaccine in humans. Recently, India opened its first Children-Friendly COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Delhi. The aim is to engage children under observation post-vaccination to remove the fear of inoculation among them.