10.9 million doses will have to be administered per day to achieve the December target (File)
India has administered over 60 crore doses of the anti-coronavirus vaccines so far, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted today. India is now only behind China in terms of the number of doses administered so far, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. At the current rate of vaccination, 32% of the population will be vaccinated by the year-end.
"Under PM @NarendraModi ji's #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine initiative, India crossed the 60 crore vaccination mark. Congratulations everyone!" Mr Mandaviya tweeted.
India will have to fully vaccinate 60% of the population by December 2021 in order to prevent a third wave of the pandemic. 10.9 million doses will have to be administered per day across the country to achieve the December target. However, over the last week, only 4.8 million doses were administered each day on an average.
A new study conducted by the National Institute of Disaster Management, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has predicted a surge in cases as early as October, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
According to the study, the second-most populous country in the world after China may record an unprecedented 600,000 cases of coronavirus every day if the pace of inoculation is not boosted and the third wave averted. The daily infections could fall to 200,000 if the government executes its 10-million-a-day vaccination plan, the report stated, citing a study by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Energy University and Nirma University.
On August 20, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that the Centre is fully ready to tackle a possible third wave of coronavirus and a provision of Rs 23,123 has been made for the purpose.
With experts warning that the third wave may affect children more, the Union Minister said, "Special emphasis is being given to strengthening paediatric care as experts fear that the third wave may affect children more than others."
The second wave which swept through the country earlier this year, peaking in April-May produced a tidal wave of infections and left behind a trail of devastation. Patients and their families struggled to find beds, medicines, oxygen, and ventilators. Crematoriums were overwhelmed by the number of fatalities.
India has reported over 3.25 crore cases of coronavirus so far with more than 4.35 lakh related fatalities. 3.17 crore recoveries have left the country with a little over 3.22 lakh active cases.