News Analysis India

Tag: COVID 19 Vaccine in India

  • Over 116 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India: Union Health Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 116-crore mark (116,42,50,214) with more than 60 lakh (60,25,558) vaccine doses administered till 7 pm on Saturday, the Union health ministry said.

    The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports by late night, it added.

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with the healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase.

    The vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.

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

    The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

    The Centre then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone aged above 18 years to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1.

  • Centre asks States, UTs to focus on second Covid vaccine dose coverage

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Highlighting that the nation is close to administering a billion Covid vaccine doses, the Centre has urged states and Union Territories to focus on increasing the coverage of the second dose in light of adequate availability of shots.

    The cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation drive has exceeded 99 crore.

    The countrywide COVID-19 vaccination programme was launched on January 16 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The Union government has also sought from the states suggestions in formulating new guidelines for international travel.

    ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu’s sixth mega Covid vaccine camp this Saturday

    Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed the progress of vaccination with Health Secretaries and mission directors of national health missions in states and UTs, through a video conference on Monday, according to a ministry statement.

    Bhushan highlighted that the nation is close to administering a billion doses and congratulated the states and UTs for their effort to vaccinate all citizens.

    It was highlighted that a sizeable number of beneficiaries have not received their second dose of the Covid vaccine.

    The states and UTs were urged to focus on the second vaccination dose, the statement said.

    At the virtual conference, it was pointed out that many states have adequate doses to vaccinate those people who are awaiting their second jab.

    ALSO READ | COVID-19 vaccines may protect against other coronaviruses: Study

    The Government of India is in a position to provide additional vaccine doses to the states and UTs so that they can complete the task, it said.

    They were also exhorted to accelerate the vaccination drive.

    The states and Union Territories were advised to identify and prioritize districts having low coverage for focused action and explore requirements for mobilization efforts, addressing local challenges, need for additional Covid Vaccination Centres and improving access in rural areas, the statement said.

    The Health Ministry has issued standard operating procedures over the last one year for international travel.

    It is reviewing the guidelines in consultation with all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs.

    The states and UTs were also requested to share their suggestion or feedback, the statement said.

  • India records lowest rise in daily Covid cases in 231 days; 164 deaths in 24 hours

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India logged 13,058 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 231 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,40,94,373, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

    The death toll climbed to 4,52,454 with 164 fresh fatalities, while the active cases have declined to 1,83,118, the lowest in 227 days, according to the data updated at 8 am.

    The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 25 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 114 consecutive days now.

    India recorded 13,058 new #COVID19 cases and 164 deaths in the last 24 hours, including 6,676 new cases and 60 deaths in Kerala. pic.twitter.com/7rvOuUZWPI
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) October 19, 2021
    The active cases comprise 0.54 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.14 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

    A decrease of 6,576 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

  • Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur becomes India’s first fully Covid vaccinated district

    By Online Desk

    Setting an example, Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh became the first district in India to complete 100 per cent Covid vaccine coverage among all eligible citizens above 18 years of age.

    The district’s Deputy Commissioner, Abid Hussain Sadiq, said “Kinnaur is the first district across India to achieve this feat. We’ve achieved our target of vaccinating eligible population”.

    The district achieved its target of 60,305 full inoculations on October 13.

    According to the 2011 Census done by the Government of India, Kinnaur has a population of 84,121.

    Only a few states and union territories, namely Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Ladakh and Lakshadweep, have successfully completed the first dose vaccination of their entire adult population. 

    On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir became the latest union territory to achieve100 per cent coverage of first jab of COVID vaccine for all above 18 years.

    As per an official release, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the country has crossed 97 crore doses.

    (Inputs from PTI, ANI)

  • Over 97.79 crore Covid vaccine doses provided to states, UTs: Centre

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: More than 97.79 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

    Over 8.43 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, it said.

    The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry said.

    More than 97.79 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, the ministry said.

    As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the states and UTs by providing them COVID-19 vaccines free of cost.

    India recorded 15,823 fresh #COVID19 cases and 226 deaths in a single-day. pic.twitter.com/cgj1lD7hIX
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) October 13, 2021

  • Over 79.74 crore Covid vaccine doses provided to states, UTs: Centre

    Over 5.34 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, the ministry said.

  • Over 70.31 crore Covid vaccine doses provided to states, UTs so far: Centre

    The ministry said more than 5.64 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.

  • Over 2.88 crore balance Covid jabs available with states, private hospitals: Centre

    Over 47.48 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through all sources and a further 53,05,260 doses are in the pipeline.

  • It’s expected that all 18-plus beneficiaries will be vaccinated against Covid by Dec 2021: Centre

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The pace of COVID-19 vaccination across India is amongst the fastest in the world and in view of the evolving nature of the pandemic, it is expected that all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated by December 2021, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a written reply, said while there have been instances of vaccine wastage in states and Union territories (UTs), but extra doses have also been extracted from a given vial according to the Co-WIN portal.

    “The vaccine doses wasted and maximum possible doses extracted beyond the labelled quantity are taken into account to arrive at vaccine wastage figures for a state,” he noted.

    The minister was responding to a question on whether the states/UTs are not keeping up the pace of the vaccination and wasting the doses.

    ALSO READ | Covid vaccines being used in country required to be stored within 2-8 Degree temp range: Centre

    “Between May 1, 2021 to July 13, 2021, a total of 2.49 lakh doses were wasted, while 41.12 lakh extra doses were extracted beyond the labelled quantity,” he said.

    Mandaviya underlined that regular review meetings are held with states and UTs to review all aspects of the vaccination drive, including vaccine wastage, and they are advised to keep the wastage to the minimum.

    Regular advice in this regard is also communicated to them through regular letters from the Ministry of Health, he said.

    Asked if the government has decided to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the entire population free of cost on priority basis and if so, the target fixed to administer the doses, the health minister said according to Revised Guidelines for Implementation of National COVID Vaccination Program, which came into effect from June 21, all citizens aged 18 years and above, irrespective of their income status, are entitled to free vaccination at all government vaccination centres.

    The COVID-19 vaccination is an ongoing and dynamic process, which is being guided by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) on the basis of concurrent scientific evidence.

    ALSO WATCH:

    “In view of the dynamic and evolving nature of COVID-19 pandemic, no fixed timeline at present can be indicated for the completion of the vaccination drive, however, it is expected that all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated by December 2021,” he said.

    Mandaviya further informed that in accordance with the ‘Revised Guidelines for Implementation of National COVID Vaccination Program’, the Centre is procuring 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by vaccine manufacturers in the country.

    These vaccines are provided free of cost to states/UTs on the basis of their pro rata target population, consumption pattern and vaccine wastage.

    As on July 20, 2021, a total of 34.83 crore doses have been supplied free of cost by the Government of India to states and UTs, he told the House.

    Two vaccines, namely Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech, that have been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situation by the national regulator are being procured by the central government for free supply to states/UTs, the minister said.

    Apart from these two vaccines, Sputnik V marketed in India by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Moderna vaccine have also received permission for restricted use in emergency situation by the national regulator.

    Sputnik V is being used in private hospitals for Covid vaccination, he added.

  • Over 1.67 crore Covid vaccine doses still available with states, pvt hospitals: Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said that more than 1.67 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states, union territories, and private hospitals to be administered.

    “More than 1.67 Crore (1,67,26,613) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs and private hospitals to be administered,” the health ministry said.

    The ministry further said that 37,43,25,560 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far, through all sources and a further 48,65,110 doses are in the pipeline.

    “Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 35,75,98,947 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today),” it said.

    The Centre is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, 2021.

    The vaccination drive has been ramped up through the availability of more vaccines, advanced visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.

    The Centre has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.