Vaccines off to smooth start, cross 2-lakh mark; dip in active cases

On Sunday, only 553 sessions were conducted across the country, with 17,072 beneficiaries being vaccinated, the ministry said.

At a vaccination centre in Darya Ganj, Delhi. (Praveen Khanna)

Of the 2,24,301 beneficiaries from the priority group who received their doses by the end of two days of the nationwide vaccination programme against Covid-19, only 447 reported adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday. Of the 447, only three required hospitalisation, with two of them being discharged.

On Sunday, only 553 sessions were conducted across the country, with 17,072 beneficiaries being vaccinated, the ministry said.

Spelling out details of the AEFI cases reported after the first two days, Dr Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said, “Most AEFI reported in the country are minor: fever, headache, and nausea; only three of them required hospitalisation… One has been discharged from Northern Railway, Delhi, in 24 hours; the second beneficiary has been discharged from AIIMS, Delhi; and the third is under observation at AIIMS Rishikesh and is doing fine.”

The Health Ministry reiterated that the adverse events “may or may not” be related to the vaccines or vaccination process and that “protocols are also in place for systematic investigation”.

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“Majority of the AEFI are minor in nature: pain, mild swelling at the injection site, mild fever, body ache, nausea, giddiness and mild allergic reaction like rashes. Only a few AEFI may require hospitalisation, which is classified under serious AEFI. Protocols are in place for reporting, immediate case management at vaccination session site, transportation and hospitalisation and further care of such cases,” Agnani said.

On Sunday, for the first time, active cases declined below 2 per cent of the total cases reported in the country. According to data released by the ministry, the country’s active case load stood at 2,08,826, which is 1.98 per cent of the total cases.

For the last 10 days, daily new cases have been below the 20,000-mark.

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Kerala continues to report the highest daily new cases. On Sunday, the state reported 5,960 new cases; followed by Maharashtra (2,910) and Tamil Nadu (610).

According to the latest data, in the last 24 hours, five states have witnessed a drop of at least 200 cases: Madhya Pradesh (-433), Uttar Pradesh (-419), Rajasthan (-322), and, Andhra Pradesh (-212).

Significantly, the daily case fatality rate continues to register a steady decline: in the last 23 days, India has reported less than 300 daily Covid deaths.

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The Health Ministry said that today being Sunday, only six states conducted vaccination sessions: Andhra Pradesh (308), Tamil Nadu (165), Karnataka (64), Arunachal Pradesh (14), Kerala (1) and Manipur (1).

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“A meeting was held with all states today for a review of progress, identification of bottlenecks, and to plan corrective actions as the vaccination programme moves ahead,” the Ministry said.

The Ministry also gave out details of vaccination schedules finalised by states. While Andhra Pradesh has decided to hold sessions six days a week and Mizoram will do so on five days a week, 23 states and UTs will hold sessions on four days, three states on three days, and three other states, including Uttar Pradesh, will hold sessions only two days a week.

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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