India is set to meet 1 billion, or 100 crore, doses and the landmark is likely to be reached by today, nine months after the Covid-19 vaccine drive began.
According to media reports, around 99.4 crore doses have been given till this afternoon, adding that the government is planning to celebrate 100 crores with the festival.
Health ministry sources have said that hooting over the announcement and hoisting the tricolor at the Red Fort is one of the government’s plans when India crosses the landmark of one billion or 100 crore vaccine doses.
So far, China alone has provided more than a billion vaccine doses and is also the only other country with a population of over a billion. The country completed 1 billion doses in June.
In September, 2.5 crore doses were given in a day to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was also the fourth time that more than 1 crore doses were given in a single day.
The challenges surrounding the manufacturing, distribution and distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine reflect a significant effort on the part of the government.
However, only an estimated 20 percent of the country’s 1.4 billion people have received both doses.
The government has said that “a significant number of eligible beneficiaries” have not taken their second dose, but declined to share numbers.
The low number of daily cases is said to have reduced the urgency of most people to get a second dose of vaccine, apart from the vaccine hesitancy prevailing in rural areas.
The government is aware of the problem and has urged states and union territories to focus on second dose delivery, and has advised them to share strategies to bridge the gap.
The Center has also conveyed its readiness to supply vaccine doses to states and union territories to indicate that they have sufficient stock to meet their targets.