With 10 crore jabs in 13 days, COVID vaccination crosses 70 crore

The total number of COVID vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 70 crore on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

“The coronavirus has to be defeated and vaccination is the way to victory,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

“Soaring higher on COVID-19 vaccination under PM @NarendraModi’s leadership. 70,00,00,000 vaccine doses administered to date,” the Health Minister tweeted.

Soaring higher on #COVID19 vaccination under PM @NarendraModi ji's leadership.

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vaccine doses administered to date

Congratulations to all the health workers and people for this momentous achievement. #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine pic.twitter.com/g7xA0iAhpJ

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 7, 2021

He also congratulated all health workers and people for the ‘momentous achievement’ in his tweet.

“India took 85 days to touch 10 crore vaccinations, 45 days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach 30 crore,” Mandaviya said.

Mandaviya also said that India took 24 days to reach 40 crore from 30 crore doses and then 20 more days to cross 50 crore vaccinations on August 6. It took 19 more days to go past the 60-crore mark and took only 13 days to reach 70 crore from 60 crore.

India administered more than 1 crore vaccine for the third time in the past 11 days on Monday. As of now, more than 27 crore people in the age group of 18-44, and more than 3 crore people in the same age group, have been administered with a single dose and both the doses of the vaccine, respectively.

Also read: Allow people to take second Covishield jab in 4 weeks: Kerala HC to Centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an online address on Monday that India is administering a record 1.25 crore COVID-19 vaccines every day, which is ‘more than the population of many countries.’

“Great day (again) on the vaccination front and on the cricket pitch. As always, #TeamIndia wins!” Modi tweeted on Monday, lauding the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country, as well as India’s victory against England in the ongoing Test match series.

Great day (again) on the vaccination front and on the cricket pitch. As always, #TeamIndia wins! #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 6, 2021

On Sunday, Himachal Pradesh became the fourth state to achieve the target of administering the first dose of COVID vaccine to all eligible people. Apart from Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, have also succeeded in administering the first dose to all eligible residents of the state. Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar became the first city in India to achieve 100 per cent vaccination.

The nationwide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

As of now, India has been administering Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, and Sputnik V vaccines. Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine Janssen has also been approved, but the jab is yet to arrive in the country.

(With inputs from Agencies)