The Health Minister said India went from 40 crore doses to 50 crore doses in 20 days. AFP
As India crossed the 50-crore mark today in the number of Covid vaccine doses administered, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country's fight against the pandemic has received a "strong impetus".
"India's fight against COVID-19 receives a strong impetus. Vaccination numbers cross the 50 crore mark. We hope to build on these numbers and ensure our citizens are vaccinated under #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine movement," the Prime Minister tweeted.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter to congratulate the people and thank healthcare workers.
"India soars high on #COVID19 vaccination, historic record of 50 crore doses administered to date!," Mr Mandaviya tweeted.
In another tweet illustrating how the pace of the vaccination drive has picked up, the minister said India has crossed the 50 crore doses milestone under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sabko Vaccine Muft Vaccine campaign.
He then said India achieved the 10 crore doses milestone within 85 days, went from 10 crore to 20 crore in 45 days, from 20 crore to 30 crore in 29 days and from 30 crore to 40 crore in 24 days. Ten crore vaccine doses, from 40 crore to 50 crore, were administered in just 20 days, Mr Mandaviya said.
Coronavirus vaccination in the country began on January 16 with healthcare workers and frontline workers being inoculated in the first phase. In the second phase, those aged over 60 years and those aged between 45 years and 60 years and suffering from comorbidities were covered. From April 1, vaccinations were opened up for everyone above the age of 45 years.
Towards the end of April, the second wave of Covid infections hit India, crippling health infrastructure in several parts of the country and making people scramble for beds and oxygen cylinders. Under the shadow of the second wave, from May 1, the immunisation drive was opened up for the 18-44 years age group.
After the Supreme Court called the policy of free vaccines for people above 45 and paid doses for the 18-44 group "arbitrary and irrational" and asked the Centre to review it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government would provide vaccines free to all above 18 from June 21 and take back control of vaccination from states.
In June, the Centre told the Supreme Court in an affidavit that it expects to get around 188 crore vaccine doses from at least five manufactures to inoculate the country's entire adult population by the end of the year.
The affidavit was filed in response to the court's questions to the government on its vaccine policy.