The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 97.62 crore with more than 38 lakh jabs given on Saturday, the health ministry said. The figures are based on the 7 pm provisional report. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, it said.
Earlier in the day, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya also said India will cross the landmark of 100-crore Covid-19 vaccine doses next week. He also released a “Covid anthem” penned by singer Kailash Kher on the day. The song aims at dispelling myths related to Covid-19 and vaccination against it as well as shed vaccine hesitancy.
A total of 39,25,87,450 first doses and 11,01,73,456 second doses have been administered to individuals in the 18-44 age group across states and union territories since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive, according to data issued by the ministry. The ministry further said cumulatively, 69,45,87,576 first doses and 28,17,04,770 second doses have been administered in the country so far.
The vaccination exercise, as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from Covid-19, continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry underlined.
The vaccines administered suggest about 70 per cent of the population getting at least one dose and about 30 per cent of the population has got two doses, Mandaviya said. “We administered 2.5 crore doses one single day on September 17 and next week we will reach the 100 crore mark,” he said.
“This has happened because of the effort put in by all,” he added. Covid-19 infections are decreasing in India, with 15,981 new infections reported in a day, according to official data on Saturday.
The minister said while it takes 5-10 years to test and develop vaccines, India has researched and developed an in-house vaccine, and to add to the complex manufacturing, the massive logistics involving setting up cold chains, airport transfers, delivery to states, local storage and last-mile connectivity were set up in no time.
Kher, who has composed and sung the Covid anthem, said it was essential to dispel myths and rumours surrounding vaccines and promote its usage so as to ensure all get the vaccine. The development of a song called ‘Tika-anthem’ or vaccine anthem has been sponsored by oil industry body FIPI. Speaking on the occasion, oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said vaccination has now become a people’s movement despite the negative narrative and falsehood spread by some in the country.
“It is not the government which is the enemy, it is the virus which is the enemy,” he said referring to the narrative opposition parties tried to build around the vaccination drive in the country. Stating that vaccine manufacturing in the public sector was stopped during the Congress-led UPA regime between 2004 and 2014, he said the opposition tried to create a “negative narrative” over the issue of domestically manufactured vaccines being safe.
“Vaccine hesitancy was spread but with the determination, focus and commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we were able to overcome and vaccination became a ‘jan andolan’ (people’s movement),” he said.
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