JP Nadda lauds PM Modi's 'stellar leadership' on vaccine drive anniversary

New Delhi, Jan 16: With India's Covid vaccination drive completing one year on Sunday, BJP president J P Nadda said the task of jabbing the country's huge population seemed impossible but was made possible under the "stellar leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with over 92 per cent of population having received the first dose.

"The world stood up and applauded us," Nadda said.

Over the past year, India has come together in this fight against COVID-19, he said, extending gratitude to health and frontline workers besides the masses for their concerted efforts to make this massive vaccination drive a success.

He tweeted, "India has so far administered 156 crore vaccine doses, of which 99 crore doses have been given in rural India. 70% of our adult population is fully vaccinated. More than 3 crore children have got their first dose since the program began. India has led the fight against COVID-19."

The countrywide vaccination drive against COVID-19 on Sunday completed one year, during which over 156.76 crore vaccine doses were administered.

The drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The next phase of the 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.