New Delhi: More than 27 lakh vaccine jabs were administered today, April 11, the first day of the four-day ‘Tika Utsav’ announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the maximum number of people inoculated. The mass vaccination programme will be conducted till April 14. With over 10 crore vaccine doses administered in 85 days, the Union Health Ministry noted, all eligible Indians can be fully vaccinated within three years.
India achieved the landmark after the beginning of COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16. While interacting with Chief Ministers of various states and union territories, PM Modi had urged them to focus on vaccinating all those who are above 45 years of age in high caseload districts.
Cumulatively, according to this morning’s provisional data, as many as 10,15,95,147 vaccine doses have been administered through 15,17,963 sessions, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry said. Given the current speed, a rough calculation shows that 1,156 days may be needed to inoculate each eligible Indian.
The Health Ministry also said India is the fastest in the world to administer 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, achieving the feat in 85 days whereas the US took 89 days and China 102 days.
In Delhi, an all out mobilisation was the main thrust of the ‘Tika Utsav’ and accordingly, a specially focused effort was made by officials.A total of 1,04,862 persons were administered COVID-19 vaccines in Delhi in the last 24 hours. These included 91,099 people who were given first doses of the vaccines. Workplace vaccination was also started as part of ‘Tika Utsav’, the Delhi government noted.
Goa received an enthusiastic response with 8,189 people above the age of 45 years getting the COVID-19 jabs. The ‘Tika Utsav’ drive in Goa was held across three Panchayats.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan reported a shortage of vaccines. Earlier today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to supply 25 lakh more vaccine doses in order to make the ‘Tika Utsav’ a success. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also demanded 30 lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, the Centre has maintained that a sufficient quantity of the jabs have been allocated to all the states.