India reached a major milestone in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday. The country has reached the 100 crore vaccinations marker, including both the first and second doses.
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Milestone Commemorations
To commemorate the event, PM Modi paid a visit to Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. The Prime Minister also tweeted, “We are seeing the victory of Indian science, enterprise, and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians.”
At the hospital, he spoke with healthcare personnel and vaccine recipients. The Prime Minister said, “In the lives of our people, the vaccine has provided pride and protection”, marking the country’s achievement.
The Union Health Ministry also staged a number of other events to commemorate the occasion. These included the production of a two-minute and four-second film with rap and visual representations of India’s struggle against COVID-19.
India Crosses Major Immunization Thresholds
According to figures from the Union Health Ministry, it took 85 days for India to reach the 10-million immunization threshold. The nation then took 45 days to reach the 20-million level, and 29 days to reach the 30-million mark.
On August 6, India reached the 40-crore level from 30-crore doses in 24 days. Another 20 days later, it also surpassed the 50-crore threshold. It took 76 days to reach the 100-crore milestone after that.
Phases of the Immunization Campaign
Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states for the number of dosages supplied, followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. The first phase of the nationwide immunization campaign began on January 16, with health care workers (HCWs) receiving vaccinations. Frontline workers (FLWs) have been vaccinated since February 2.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination began on March 1 for persons over the age of 60, and for those aged 45 and above with certain comorbidities. From April 1, the country began vaccinating all people above the age of 45. From May 1, the government decided to broaden its vaccination campaign by enabling everyone above the age of 18 to be vaccinated.
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