New Delhi: India on Thursday hit the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination milestone with the Centre gearing up to launch a host of activities to mark the occasion. PM Modi also visited the RML Hospital as the number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India surpassed the 100 crore mark.
"India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury," PM Modi tweeted.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya had also appealed to the public to get vaccinated without delay and contribute to India's historic achievement.
"Congratulations India! This is the result of the able leadership of visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Mandaviya tweeted in Hindi, hashtagging #VaccineCentury.
India's COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16, 2021.
The Union Minister will launch a song and an audiovisual film to celebrate the milestone at the Red Fort in the national capital.
Low-cost airline SpiceJet will also issue a special uniform at Delhi airport today to those who get vaccinated to mark the completion of 100 crore vaccine doses. Health Minister, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and SpiceJet Chief Managing Director Ajay Singh will take part in the event.
As per an official release, 99.12 cr. vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
"Congratulations to the people & healthcare workers of India. It's remarkable to reach the 1 billion dose mark for any nation, an achievement in just over 9 months since the vaccination program started in India," said Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog on India crossing 100 crore vaccination.
After India on Thursday achieved a major milestone of 100 crore vaccination, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that credit should be given to the government and this is a matter of pride for the entire country.
"This is a matter of pride for all Indians. Let's give the Government credit. After severe mismanagement of the second #Covid wave & botching the vaccination orders that might have prevented it, Govt has now partly redeemed itself. It remains accountable for its earlier failures," Tharoor tweeted.
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The Cowin portal states that a total of 100 crore vaccine doses has been administered so far to the eligible population under the vaccination drive in India.
The healthcare workers were the first ones to get doses. Later, the frontline workers were also included in the drive from February 2. The state and central police personnel, Armed Forces, Home Guards, Civil Defence and others were included in the vaccination drive.
The drive was expanded from March 1 to include people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified comorbidities. From May 1, the vaccination drive was thrown open to all above 18 years of age.
Meanwhile, India reported 18,454 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, said the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. With the addition of new cases, India's active caseload stands at 1,78,831 which accounts for less than one per cent of the total cases and currently it is at 0.52 per cent.
In the last 24 hours, 17,561 recoveries were reported with which the total recoveries mounted to 3,34,95,808. Consequently, the recovery rate is 98.15 per cent, the highest since March 2020.
The weekly positivity rate is at 1.34 per cent, which remained below three per cent for the last 118 days. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.48 per cent, which is also less than three per cent for the last 52 days.
