News Analysis India

Tag: COVID-19 vaccination drive

  • Eight districts of Bihar have administered first vaccine dose

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Eight districts of Bihar have achieved over 100% vaccination till August 3. In urban areas of Siwan, around 2005 first doses of the covid vaccine was administered to those above 18 years.

    Banktawa block in East Champaran district has been declared as the first in India to have administered the first dose of the Covid vaccine to 100% of its population in the eligible age group. Close to 60000 residents falling under this age group have received their first dose and plans are on to hold mega vaccination camps to inoculate them with the second dose within a fixed time frame. 

    On July 27, the World Health Organization had tweeted that its field team has extended support to the district in micro planning and monitoring the vaccine drive to cover 55000 people in 102 villages .

    All eligible population of said age group in Motihari Nagar Nigam, Raxaul Nagar parisad, Dhaka Nagar Parishad, Pakari Dayal Nagarpanchayat, Chakia nagar panchayat and Kesarai nagar panchayat have been administered with the first does of COVID-19 vaccine.

    Additional chief secretary in health Pratyay Amrit said that the Motihari Nagar Parishad was the first in the country before Bankatawa block where all the people of eligible age group of 18 and above were vaccinated with the first doses. Amrit also appreciated the health department officials led by DM Shist Kapil Ashok.

    Bankatwa block falls under the Sikarahana sub-division of East Champaran headquartered at Motihari with 10 panchayats and 130 Aanganwadi centres.

    The health chief secretary further informed that in eight districts, over 100% vaccination of first dose has already been done. In Siwan’s urban areas, 200% vaccination has been done with total population of urban areas and with the people of nearby semi-urban areas.

    In the same way, 132% of population of Vaishali district urban areas, 120% in Samastipur’s urban areas, 106% in Banka urban areas and rest in urban areas of other districts namely Bhojpur, Sitamarhi and Supaul have been vaccinated.

    “More than 100% vaccination means the people arrived in urban areas from nearby semi urban areas also,” he said.

  • COVID-19 vaccination drive reaches tribal population of J-K’s Rajouri

    By ANI
    RAJOURI: Facing the second wave of COVID-19, Jammu and Kashmir is trying to vaccinate its citizens rapidly, reaching even the remotest corner of each area and village including nomadic tribes.

    Jammu and Kashmir has taken its vaccination drive to remote villages even reaching nomadic people of Rajouri’s Dhar village.

    Majurim, a nomadic tribal said, “We are really thankful that the healthcare workers came here for vaccination because our village is a remote area and it is very far from mainstream. We only live here for 6 months as in summer the sunlight reaches here, after 6 months we shift to low area of the valley.”

    Other healthcare workers also came from a far-flung area to get vaccinated as the vaccination drive began in the village.

    Dolly Sharma, an ASHA worker said, “I have come here for vaccination. I had to leave my place around 6 am to reach here. Many people got vaccinated here.”

    Frontline workers in Kashmir are visiting citizens for a door-to-door vaccination drive. This also involves crossing geographical barriers to reach the interiors of the Union Territory.

    Speaking to ANI, Dhar Sarpanch Aijaz Ahmed said, “Vaccination drive in progress in Rajouri’s Dhar village. We began with beneficiaries of 45 years and above age group and we are also vaccinating 18 and above age group now. These are far-flung areas where our team goes from ward to ward walking for 4-5 hours. 90 per cent vaccination has been completed so far.” 

  • Covid-19: Supreme Court seeks details of plan to inoculate 100 crore by December

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to file an affidavit explaining how it will achieve its target of vaccinating “a substantial number of” people by the year-end when the existing production of vaccines suggests otherwise.

    A special bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, L N Rao and S Ravindra Bhat cited the current rate of vaccine manufacturing to question the Centre’s claim that it would fully vaccinate 100 crore people by the year-end and said statistics indicate it would take 12 months to vaccinate the population between 18-44 years of age.

    Doubting the basis of the Centre’s preparedness, the court said the government seemed to have based its projections based on many vaccines, which are still under production, clearing the necessary trials. Such an approach, the court said, “would be misguided”.

    There is material to suggest that the augmentation of vaccine production will be inadequate to vaccinate the population between 18-44 years of age, the court said. 

    ​The order read: “The total population of this age group is 59 crore, which would require around 122 crore doses. Based on reports, the existing manufacturers (Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech India Limited) will be able to produce less than 10 crore doses per month.

    Optimistically, around 15-20 crore doses of Sputnik V will be available per month. At this rate, it would take around 12 months for the population in this age group to be inoculated, by which time the virus may have mutated, causing further waves of the pandemic.”

    Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the court that the government is expected to vaccinate India’s ‘entire population’ by the end of this year. Terming the approach as being “misguided”, the court observed that the efficacy of vaccines that are currently in the stage of clinical trials is uncertain and can’t be guaranteed.

  • COVID-19: Haryana reports highest vaccine wastage followed by Assam, Rajasthan

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Haryana, Assam and Rajasthan are among the top three states that reported the highest percentage of COVID-19 vaccine wastage, said the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday.

    As per the Ministry, Haryana reported 6.49 vaccine wastage, followed by Assam with 5.92 per cent, and Rajasthan with 5.68 per cent.

    About 5.67 per cent vaccine wastage was recorded in Meghalaya, 5.20 per cent in Bihar, 5.19 per cent in Manipur, 4.94 per cent in Punjab, 4.5 per cent in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 4.13 per cent in Tamil Nadu and 3.36 per cent in Nagaland

    As per the ministry, the Government of India has so far provided nearly 18 crore vaccine doses (17,93,57,860) to States/UTs free of cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 16,89,27,797 doses (as per data available at 8 am today).

    More than 90 lakh COVID Vaccine doses (90,31,691) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. States with negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to Armed Forces, it said.

    More than 7 lakh (7,29,610) vaccine doses will be received by the States/UTs within the next three days, said the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday.

    As per government data, Maharashtra received the highest number of vaccine doses (1,82,52,450) followed by Uttar Pradesh with 1,51,31,270; Gujarat with 1,48,70,490; Rajasthan with 1,47,37,360; West Bengal with 1,20,83,340; Karnataka with 1,09,28,270; Madhya Pradesh with 94,79,720; Bihar with 87,65,820; Kerala with 78,97,790 and Tamil Nadu with 76,43,010 doses respectively.

    Out of the above-mentioned doses, the amount of vaccine doses consumed by these states including wastage is the highest in Maharashtra (1,75,33,889) followed by Uttar Pradesh (1,38,60,390).

    As per the ministry’s data till May 11, 8 am, the balance availability of vaccine doses is highest in Uttar Pradesh at 11,52,091 doses followed by Gujarat at 8,32,398; Tamil Nadu at 7,89,619; Madhya Pradesh at 5,59,271; Bihar at 5,26,396; Maharashtra at 4,98,756; Chhattisgarh at 4,12,768; Jharkhand at 4,04,357; Haryana at 3,72,831 and Delhi at 3,66,731 doses respectively.

    Meanwhile, India reported a slight dip in new COVID-19 cases with 3,29,942 fresh infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry on Tuesday.

    However, the country recorded more recoveries during this period as 3,56,082 new discharges were reported. With 3,876 new deaths due to COVID-19, the cumulative toll mounted to 2,49,992 deaths.

    The total positive cases now stands at 2,29,92,517, including 1,90,27,304 recoveries. At present, there are currently 37,15,221 active coronavirus cases in the country. 

  • COVID-19 vaccination of people aged 18-44 years officially begins in Uttarakhand

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat formally launched the COVID-19 vaccination drive for people aged 18-44 years here on Monday and said Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to make the exercise free of cost.

    Launching the drive at the Radha Swami Satsang complex on the Haridwar bypass road, Rawat said the third phase of the vaccination drive has begun under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “Fifty lakh youngsters of Uttarakhand are to be inoculated against the pandemic as part of the drive.

    Uttarakhand is the first state to announce that people in the age group of 18-44 years will be administered the vaccine jabs for free.

    ALSO READ | Uttarakhand: BJP MLA’s son gets vaccine jab ahead of official schedule for his age group

    The state government will bear the cost of Rs 400 crore to be incurred in the exercise,” he said.

    The state government’s target is to take the inoculation drive to the Nyay Panchayat level, where vaccination camps should be set up, he said.

    The chief minister asked the district magistrates to make separate arrangements for elderly and differently-abled people at every vaccination booth so that they do not face any inconvenience.

    He appealed to people not to lower their guard against the disease even after receiving the vaccine shot.

    Wearing of masks, social distancing and frequent sanitisation of hands must continue, Rawat said and advised people to avoid crowded places.

  • Focus on weaker sections in third phase Covid-19 vaccine drive: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel

    By PTI
    RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government on Friday requested the Centre to give priority to socially and economically weaker sections in vaccination against COVID-19 in the third phase when people in the 18 to 44 age group will be covered from May 1.

    In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said given the vaccine demand-supply mismatch, the Centre should prioritise vaccination and also allow spot registration of beneficiaries so that people not having access to the Co-WIN web portal do not miss out.

    In the letter, Baghel said as per the Government of Indias directives, registration of beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years has started on the Co-WIN portal, the technological backbone of the vaccination drive, from April 28.

    Although information about state-wise registration is not available on the portal, as per the information received, around 1.7 crore citizens of this age group have registered themselves on the digital platform so far, he said.

    According to the central government’s guidelines, doses for inoculating this age group are to be purchased by states, Baghel said.

    In this regard, the Chhattisgarh government had forwarded demand for 25 lakh doses each of Covishield and Covaxin to their manufacturers, he said.

    Only Bharat Biotech (which makes Covaxin) responded to the demand, but said it can provide only three lakh doses to the state in the month of May, the chief minister said.

    Large number of registrations and less availability of vaccines may cause problems in managing crowds at inoculation centres, he said in the letter to the PM.

    Keeping in view the shortage of doses, the Government of India should fix priority groups for the vaccination drive, Baghel said.

    “People belonging to socially as well as economically weaker sections should be given priority,” he told Modi.

    Baghel said since registration facility is only available online, beneficiaries from vulnerable groups may be deprived of vaccination.

    Spot registration should be made available for people in the 18 to 44 age group so that no one is left out of the vaccination drive, he said in the letter to the PM.

  • Centre asks all its employees aged 45 years and above to get themselves vaccinated

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday asked all its employees aged 45 years and above to get themselves vaccinated to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19.

    They are further advised to continue to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour even after vaccination by frequent washing of hands and sanitisation, wearing a mask or face cover and observing social distancing, etc., an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

    The government has been monitoring the situation very closely, and based on the strategy adopted for prioritising the groups for vaccination to contain the spread of COVlD-19, currently, all persons of the age of 45 years and above can participate in the vaccination exercise, it said.

    “In view of the above, all central government employees of the age of 45 years and above are advised to get themselves vaccinated so as to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19,” said the order issued to all the central government ministries and departments.

    The order comes amid an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in the country in the last few weeks.

     

  • India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage near 8-crore mark

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country reached, 7,91,05,163, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

    These include 90,09,353 Health Care Workers (HCW) who were administered their first dose of the vaccine, 53,43,493 HCWs who were administered their second dose, 97,37,850 Front Line Workers (FLW) who were administered the first dose, and 41,33,961 FLWs who were administered the second dose, along with 4,99,31,635 (first dose) and 9,48,871 (second dose) beneficiaries aged more than 45 years.

    “In a significant development in the fight against COVID-19, the cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 7.9 crore mark today,” the Ministry said.

    The Ministry said that eight States account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far. Maharashtra alone accounts for 9.72 per cent of the total doses given in the country.

    Maharashtra has also distributed 65,59,094 first doses and 7,95,150 second doses of vaccine.

    “A total of 1,03,558 new daily COVID cases were registered in the last 24 hours. 81.90 per cent of these new cases are from eight states- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab,” the Ministry said.

    Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 57,074, followed by Chhattisgarh with 5,250 cases and Karnataka with 4,553 new cases.

    Meanwhile, India’s total active caseload has reached 7,41,830.

    “It now comprises 5.89 per cent of the country’s total positive cases. A net incline of 50,233 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours,” it added.

    Five states, namely Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 75.88 per cent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for nearly 58.23 per cent of the total active caseload of the country.

    The Ministry said that India’s cumulative recoveries are currently at 1,16,82,136, with 52,847 new recoveries registered in the last 24 hours and the national recovery rate is 92.8 per cent.

    478 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Eight States account for 84.52% of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (222). Punjab follows with 51 daily deaths.

  • India becomes fastest country to reach 4 mln COVID-19 vaccination mark

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: In a significant achievement, India has become the fastest country in the world to reach the 4 million COVID-19 vaccination mark in 18 days, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Wednesday.

    “As on February 1, 2021, India was among the top five countries in terms of the number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered to people. India continues to undertake its vaccination drive at a fast pace,” the Ministry said.

    The ministry said that 14 states and Union Territories (UTs) have not reported any deaths in the last 24 hours. These states include Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Puducherry, Goa, Odisha and Assam.

    The country’s active cases have declined further to 1,60,057 in the last 24 hours. The active caseload of the country has fallen below 1.5 per cent (1.49 per cent presently) of the total cases.

    “11,039 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours in the country, the lowest in seven months and 14,225 new recoveries were registered in the same period. It has led to a net decline of 3,296 cases from the total active caseload,” it said.

    The total recovered cases are 1,04,62,631 and the national recovery rate (97.08 per cent) continues to be one of the highest globally, the Ministry said.

    The gap between active cases and recovered cases is continuously increasing and stands at 1,03,02,574.

    At present, 31 States and UTs have less than 5,000 active cases.

    Eight States and UTs have weekly positivity rate higher than the national average (1.91 per cent). Kerala has the highest weekly positivity rate of 12 per cent, followed by Chhattisgarh at 7 per cent.

    As on February 3, 2021, till 8 am, more than 41 lakh (41,38,918) beneficiaries have received the vaccination under the countrywide COVID19 vaccination exercise.

    In the last 24 hours, 1,88,762 healthcare workers were vaccinated across 3,845 sessions. 76,576 sessions have been conducted so far.

    The number of beneficiaries being vaccinated every day has shown a progressive increase. “85.62 per cent of the newly recovered cases are recorded in 8 States and UTs. Kerala has contributed the highest number to the newly recovered cases (5,747), followed by Maharashtra (4,011) and Tamil Nadu (521).”

    83.01 per cent of the new cases are from 6 States and UTs.

    Kerala has reported the highest daily new cases at 5,716, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with 1,927and 510 new cases each respectively.

    110 case fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra reported maximum casualties with 30 new fatalities. It is followed by Kerala with 16 new daily deaths.  

  • 20.29 lakh healthcare workers vaccinated against COVID-19 across India so far: Centre

    In view of Republic Day celebrations across the country, limited number of sessions in limited States were conducted, the union health ministry said.