India crosses 75 crore Covid vaccine doses, says Health Minister

Countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase

India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark.: File Picture

TT  Bureau, PTI   |   New Delhi   |  13.09.21 : India has crossed the landmark of administering 75 crore Covid vaccine doses, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Monday.

He said the country's vaccination drive continues to create new dimensions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with his mantra of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas (together with everybody, with everybody's efforts".

'Congratulations India! In the 75th year of independence, the country has crossed the figure of 75 crore vaccinations," the health minister tweeted with hashtags #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine and #AazadiKaAmritMahotsav.

So far, all adult people in six states and union territories -- Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Ladakh and Lakshadweep -- have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

“India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach 30 crore,” Mandaviya said.

The country took 24 days to reach 40 crore from 30 crore doses and then 20 more days to cross the 50-crore vaccination mark on August 6.

It took 19 more days to go past the 60-crore mark and took only 13 days to reach 70 crore from 60 crore on Sep 7.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2.

The next phase of the vaccination drive commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

The country launched vaccination for all people aged over 45 years from April 1. The government then decided to expand the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry said.