Over 75 crore Covid-19 vaccines administered in India

New Delhi, Sep 13: Over 75 crore COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in India so far, says Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

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

The next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive 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 everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

The vaccination drive has been ramped up through the 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.

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

In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Union government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 percent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to states and UTs.