India completes a yr of Covid vaccination drive, over 156 cr doses administered

New Delhi:  India on Sunday marked the first anniversary of the nationwide vaccination drive against Covid-19, with over 156.76 cr doses administered till date.

India’s collective fight against the pandemic began on January 16 last year with the vaccination drive across the nation.

The drive was later expanded to citizens and people with comorbidities, and finally all above the age of 18 years.

“Today we mark #1YearOfVaccineDrive. I salute each and every individual who is associated with the vaccination drive. Our vaccination programme has added great strength to the fight against Covid-19. It has led to saving lives and thus protecting livelihoods,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.

Also taking to Twitter, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said: “Today the world’s largest vaccination campaign completes one year. This campaign started under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji with ‘Sabke Prayas’ is the most successful vaccination campaign in the world today. I congratulate all the health workers, scientists and countrymen.”

The two made-in-India vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — were granted the emergency use authorization on January 2, 2021.

India achieved the milestone of one crore vaccination on February 19, 2021.

The vaccination drive for adolescents aged between 15 to 18 was started on January 3, 2022 in India.

Since it started, around 40 per cent of the children in this age group have received their first dose of the vaccine. According to the health ministry data, a total of 3,38,50,912 teens in this group have been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, India started the drive for precaution dose for healthcare and frontline workers and those above 60 on January 10.

Over 40 lakh people have received the precaution dose so far.

IANS