India's vaccination feat a ‘testament’ to its ability: Bill Gates

New Delhi, Oct 22: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Friday hailed India's feat of administering more than 1 billion (100 crore) doses of vaccines against Covid-19.

Taking to Twitter, the American entrepreneur said that the achievement was a "testament" to India's ability to manufacture at scale.

"India has administered 1 billion vaccine doses, a testament to its innovation, ability to manufacture at scale, and the efforts of millions of health workers backed by CoWIN," Gates tweeted.

India has reached the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination mark, in just nine months since the vaccination programme in India began.

Over 75 per cent of India's all eligible adult population has been administered at least the first dose and around 31 per cent has received both the doses of the vaccine.

India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach the 30-crore mark.

The country took 24 days to reach the 40-crore mark from 30-crore doses and then 20 more days to surpass the 50-crore vaccination mark on August 6.It then took 76 days to go past the 100-crore mark.

The top five states which have administered the highest number of doses are Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with health care workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

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

The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing all above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.