India has now administered more vaccine doses than the US
Even as daily cases in India continue to fall, the country's vaccination drive is finally picking pace. India has now surpassed the United States in terms of the total number of vaccine doses administered so far. India has given out 32.36 crore vaccine doses while the US has administered 32.33 crore doses. Here are more details on this.
India administered 3.91 crore doses in past one week
India began its COVID-19 vaccination program this January. Until June 21, nearly 28 crore vaccine doses had been administered across the country. On that day, as a new vaccination policy kicked in, a record 85 lakh vaccine doses were administered. India has notably given 3.91 crore vaccine doses in the past one week, after the launch of the new policy.
What is the new vaccination policy?
Under the new vaccination policy, the central government is providing free jabs to all adults. 75% of all the vaccines are now being procured by the Centre and provided to states free of cost. Private hospitals continue to procure the remaining 25%.
But only 4% Indians are fully vaccinated yet
More than 17 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours in India. Even though 19% of the Indian population has received at least one dose, just 4% of Indians have been fully vaccinated as yet. On the other hand, the US has partially vaccinated 54% of its population and fully vaccinated over 46% of population.
51 crore doses would be administered by July: Centre
Meanwhile, the Indian government on Sunday assured the Supreme Court that over 51 crore vaccine doses would be administered by July 31. It said an additional 135 crore jabs would be available by the end of this year. Those numbers should be enough to fully inoculate all Indian adults, it told the court. India does not have a coronavirus vaccine for children as yet.
India expecting more vaccines in coming months
The Indian government is working with American firm Pfizer to bring its COVID-19 vaccine to the country. Meanwhile, Covovax, the Indian version of Novavax's vaccine, would be available by September. That apart, Zydus Cadila is expected to soon apply for regulatory approval of its vaccine.
PM Modi urges people to shed vaccine hesitancy
In his monthly radio program, "Mann Ki Baat," on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to shed vaccine hesitancy. "I have taken both vaccine doses. My mother is almost 100 years old, she has taken both vaccine doses too. Please do not believe any rumors related to vaccines," the PM said in the address.
India reports 46K new COVID-19 cases today
India had faced the world's worst coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, witnessing lakhs of cases and thousands of fatalities daily amid an overburdened healthcare infrastructure. Daily cases in India had peaked at 4,14,000 just last month. The situation has since improved. In the past 24 hours, the country reported 46,148 fresh cases and 979 deaths.
