In 6 months since launch of drive: Vaccine coverage crosses 50 cr doses
According to the Union Health Ministry, cumulative vaccination coverage of the country touched 50.03 crore doses, after 43.29 lakh doses were administered on Friday.
On March 1, the Centre opened up vaccination for the most vulnerable groups: people above the age of 60 years, and those above 45 years with associated comorbidities.
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Just over six months after it launched the Covid-19 vaccination drive, India on Friday completed administering a cumulative 50 crore doses.
According to the Union Health Ministry, cumulative vaccination coverage of the country touched 50.03 crore doses, after 43.29 lakh doses were administered on Friday.
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“India’s fight against Covid-19 receives a strong impetus. Vaccination numbers cross the 50 crore mark. We hope to build on these numbers and ensure our citizens are vaccinated under #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine movement,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
On January 16, India launched the vaccination drive prioritising healthcare and frontline workers. As of Friday, 1.03 crore healthcare workers had received their first dose, and 79.51 lakh had received both doses. Also, 1.8 crore frontline workers had received their first dose, and 1.16 crore their second dose.
On March 1, the Centre opened up vaccination for the most vulnerable groups: people above the age of 60 years, and those above 45 years with associated comorbidities. Amid the second wave, on April 1, India rolled out a new phase, making every person above the age of 45 years eligible for a shot.
According to official data, in the 60-plus age group, 7.8 crore have got the first dose and 3.8 crore the second dose. In the 45-plus age group, 11.07 crore have got the first dose and 4.19 crore the second dose.
On May 1, India expanded its vaccination coverage to include everyone aged 18 years and above; but the 18-44 age group could get vaccinated from only 50 per cent of the doses available in the open market and procured by state governments and private hospitals. On June 21, India returned to centralised procurement of vaccines, after several states faced difficulties in procuring and managing funding of vaccines.
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According to the official data, 17.23 crore beneficiaries in the 18-44 years group have received their first dose, and 1.12 crore have got their second dose. Significantly, for the 18-44 years age group, which constitutes the largest cohort, five states have administered more than 1 crore doses: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
The following states have vaccinated more than 10 lakh beneficiaries of the 18-44 years group with the first dose: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
On Friday, the Health Ministry said that 43,29,673 vaccine doses were given till 7 pm. “As many as 32,10,613 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 11,19,060 beneficiaries received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report till 7 pm. Final reports would be completed for the day by late tonight,” the ministry said.
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
