Centre intends to complete vaccination of all poll bound states before election

Government is likely to start Covid-19 vaccination for children above 12 years of age from next month. Writes ETV Bharat Senior Correspondent Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi: Even as India achieved a historic milestone of administering more than 2.22 crore vaccination in a single day on Friday, the Central government aims to vaccinate all eligible people in five poll-bound states early next year before the elections takes place. "We are trying to vaccinate all people in poll bound States before they go for elections early next year," said a well-informed source in the Union Health Ministry.

The logic behind such intention is the fact that during the election time poll campaign and huge gathering is unavoidable. States and UTs like Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand are likely to go for polling in February and March. Earlier, the government had said that they will complete the vaccination of all adult people by December this year.

"It will be good if we can complete at least the first dose of vaccination to all people before the Diwali festival," the source said on condition of anonymity. The government anticipates that due to the population density during the festival seasons Covid-19 infection may witness a spike. Till the filing of this report, Goa administered 17,27,226 vaccines, Manipur 16,20,685, Punjab 1,73,91,669, Uttar Pradesh 9,30, 47,750 and Uttarakhand administered 98,13,986 doses of vaccines.

According to the sources till Thursday, seven crore doses are still pending with the state governments and UTs. "We are giving high importance to both production and vaccination. We have ensured that vaccines remain available with the State governments," sources said. The sources said that the Serum Institute of India (SII) is likely to supply 20 crore doses of Covishield next month and Bharat Biotech will supply 3.5 crore doses of Covaxin in the same period.

The last delivery from SII was 19 lakh, the sources said. "We will also get Zydus Cadila's one crore DNA vaccines next month and we are expecting to start vaccinating children above 12 years of age from next month," the sources said. Significantly, Biological E, Novavax, and Sputnik Light already got approval for the third phase of the trial.

Meanwhile, as India achieved another historic milestone of administering more than 2.22 crore doses (till filling of the report) on Friday coinciding the 71st birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the health workers and applauded their contribution in vaccinating more than 2 crore doses in a single day.

One lakh vaccination centres were put into service for the vaccination process. Coinciding Modi's birthday, the Health Ministry has been running a "vaccine seva" campaign. "All the citizens should come forward and get the vaccination," said Mandaviya. The health minister visited Delhi's Safdarjung hospital and celebrated the historic achievement of vaccination with the doctors, nurses and health care workers.