On Thursday, India reached a significant milestone when the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed 100 crores (1 billion). Half an hour after 10 a.m., the milestone was reached. In a presentation lauding the “vaccine century,” the government stated the figure is twice that of the United States, five times that of Japan, nine times that of Germany, and ten times the number of vaccine doses provided in France.
It stated that 75% of the eligible population has received the first dosage, with eight states and union territories (UTs) achieving 100% first dose coverage: Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu, Goa, and Lakshadweep. It also said that more than 90% of the first dosage is covered in four states and UTs. The Centre recalled the journey to 100 crore vaccine doses in a presentation after the billionth dosage was delivered, which highlighted the milestones passed by the countrywide immunization program from its inception on January 16, 2021.
CoWIN, the digital platform for storing immunization records, has so far enrolled 76 crore beneficiaries, according to the report. It further stated that India was the first country to employ drones to distribute immunizations to rural areas. The first 10 crores (100 million) shots were given out in just 85 days after the vaccine program began, according to the government. Since its inception, the vaccination campaign has accelerated, with 25 million vaccinations recorded in a single day on September 17, translating to 15.62 lakh doses per hour, 26,000 doses per minute, or 434 doses per second.
Other milestones include the launch of two made-in-India vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, within 11 months of the first case being discovered in the nation, and the vaccines receiving the fastest ever approvals. Until now, only China has given out a billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccination. In June, it reached a significant milestone. Despite the high number of Covid-19 vaccinations, opposition parties have raised concerns about the government’s ability to keep its pledge to deliver two doses of the vaccine to all eligible people in the country by December 31. As per Congress, there are 95 crore adults who are eligible for the vaccination, and there is still a long way to go until they all get both doses.
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