A year on, India's Covid vaccine coverage surpasses 150 cr. Mandaviya hails feat | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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A year on, India's Covid vaccine coverage surpasses 150 crore. Leaders hail drive

Written by Shubhangi Gupta | Edited by Sohini Goswami, New Delhi
Jan 16, 2022 01:27 PM IST

Exactly a year ago, India began its vaccine campaign against pandemic with the first doses administered to its healthcare workers, fighting the battle from the front.

As the country completed a year of administering vaccines to its citizens against the coronavirus disease that has disrupted life and livelihood of both poor and rich alike, senior leaders, including Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and home minister Amit Shah on Sunday hailed the inoculation campaign as the most successful one in the world.

A woman gets her vaccine against Covid-19 at a mobile facility in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai. (Representational image)(BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)
A woman gets her vaccine against Covid-19 at a mobile facility in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai. (Representational image)(BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

Congratulating health workers, scientists and citizens of the country, Mandaviya said the campaign was launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ‘sabka prayas’ (endeavour of all).

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“Today the world's largest vaccination campaign completes one year. This campaign started under the leadership of PM @NarendraModiji with 'Sabke Prayas' is the most successful vaccination campaign in the world today. I congratulate all the health workers, scientists and countrymen,” he wrote on Twitter.

Also read | Covid-19 pandemic cannot go on forever, will end soon: Expert

Shah wrote, "I congratulate the talented scientists, health workers, all corona warriors and countrymen of the country on the successful completion of 1 year of the world's largest free vaccination campaign in the fight against corona under the strong and inspiring leadership of Prime Minister," he wrote on Twitter.

The home minister too lauded the PM for his continuous efforts towards working in the interest of the nation and setting India as an example for the world. "With the efficient leadership, determination and continuous efforts of Prime Minister @narendramodiji, India has set an ideal in the world that if the government and citizens unite in the interest of the country and set a common goal, then how the country can overcome the impossible by conquering every challenge. may also make it possible. #1YearOfVaccineDrive," he wrote.

Exactly a year ago, India began its vaccine campaign against pandemic with the first doses administered to its healthcare workers, fighting the battle from the front. It has since administered more than 156.76 crore doses. The drive was later expanded to cover frontline workers, followed by people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with comorbidities.

Later, the vaccine coverage was also expanded to all above 45 years of age and recently to those above 18 years of age.

The country started vaccinating its teenagers between the age group 15-18 on January 3, 2022. The process of administering precautionary doses to the healthcare workers, frontline workers and sixty plus individuals also commenced from January 10 this year.

According to the health ministry, 1,56,76,15,454 vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries, as revealed by provisional reports till 7am on Sunday.

In the last 24 hours, more than 66 lakh vaccine doses were administered.

Meanwhile, the vaccines have been termed as one of the biggest weapons in wake of the emerging new variants of Covid-19. The highly transmissible Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa last year and later across the world, is possibly fuelling the third wave of infections in the country.

With 2,71,202 fresh infections being registered in the past 24 hours, India reported yet another surge in its Covid-19 tally on Sunday, maintaining the upward trend since the past few weeks.

The current active caseload stood at 15,50,377, comprising 4.81 per cent of the total infections.

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