COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: Over 43 lakh people get the jab on April 5, 8.31 crore shots given so far

From April 1, vaccination launched for everyone above the age of 45.

As many as 43,00,966 doses of coronavirus vaccines were administered in India on April 5, according to Union Health Ministry's latest provisional report, as the country widens the vaccination drive to include everyone above the age of 45 to contain spiralling infections.

More than 8.31 crore beneficiaries have been vaccinated for COVID-19 so far. On April 5, 39,00,505 beneficiaries were given the first shot, while 4,00,461 people received their second doses, the report said. It included healthcare workers, frontline workers, people aged above 60 and beneficiaries above the age of 45 with or without comorbidities.

The second dose is being given to those who have completed 28 days after receiving the first shot. The emergency use approval granted by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) allows four-six weeks for the second dose to be administered.

The government recently revised the gap for the Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, to six-eight weeks but the interval for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin remains unchanged.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide vaccination drive on January 16, with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs.

The country began the second phase of the vaccination drive from March 1 in which everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities can get the vaccine.

From April 1, vaccination launched for everyone above the age of 45.

Here are all developments related to the COVID-19 vaccine in India:

> India, which is experiencing a sudden rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, is now likely to make available a smaller number of vaccines to the rest of the world, the head of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation has said.

> Over 1.4 lakh anti-coronavirus vaccine doses were given to beneficiaries in Haryana on April 5, taking the total number of jabs administered in the state to 20,12,332, an official said. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rajeev Arora said Monday and Tuesday are the 'mega vaccination days' when the administration of vaccines is relatively higher in comparison to the other days of the week. Arora said there were 1,449 vaccination centres across Haryana, which were evenly spread.

> Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Lucknow on the day and appealed to all those eligible to get vaccinated. Sister Rashmi Jeet Singh administered Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN to the chief minister at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil Hospital.

> Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray requested PM Modi on the day to allow people above 25 years of age to receive COVID-19 shots, which he said will protect the young people from the rapid spread of coronavirus at a time when they are stepping outside their homes to earn a livelihood.

> World Bank President David Malpass has said that with the Serum Institute, India is blessed to have a major manufacturer of global vaccines and he is encouraged by the country's ramping up of its domestic vaccination programme.

> The AAP questioned the Centre for sending COVID-19 vaccines across the world instead of further accelerating the inoculation drive within the country, claiming it will take at least 15 years to vaccinate the entire population of India at this rate. The Delhi BJP, however, replied that the export of the COVID-19 vaccine is in no way hindering the process of vaccination in India.

> Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on the day that members of his party will get inoculated only after a free anti-coronavirus vaccine is administered to the poor and indirectly questioned the efficacy of the vaccines. He asked why doctors and directors of prominent institutes of the Centre were testing positive for the infection despite taking both the doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine.

(With inputs from PTI)