Keep momentum of Covid-19 vaccine drive: PM Modi at review meet

India has given at least one dose of the vaccines to 19% of its total population so far. Opposition parties have repeatedly asked the government to scale up India’s vaccination drive to avert a potential third wave of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised the need to maintain momentum in scaling up India’s vaccination drive against coronavirus, asking officials to involve NGOs and other organisations to keep up the pace of inoculations at a time when the country has administered the most number of jabs within a week.

Modi was told by officials at a review meeting on the country’s Covid-19 vaccination programme that 37.7 million doses were administered in the last six days. (ANI Photo)

Modi was told by officials at a review meeting on the country’s Covid-19 vaccination programme that 37.7 million doses were administered in the last six days. This week has seen the highest number of daily jabs, an average of 6.97 million per day, in over six months of India’s vaccination drive. The spike in daily vaccinations began from June 21, when the central government’s revised immunisation policy came into effect.

“The PM was informed that 3.77 crore doses have been administered in the last 6 days, which is more than the entire population of countries like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Canada. It was also discussed that 128 districts in the country have vaccinated more than 50% of the 45+ population and 16 districts have vaccinated more than 90% of the 45+ population,” a government statement said on Saturday.

It added that the Prime Minister “expressed satisfaction at the rising speed of vaccinations in this week and stressed that it is important to carry this momentum forward”.

India has given at least one dose of the vaccines to 19% of its total population so far. Opposition parties have repeatedly asked the government to scale up India’s vaccination drive to avert a potential third wave of the pandemic.

At this week’s rate of vaccinations, India will take 239 days, till February 20, 2022, to inoculate all of its adult population.

The statement on Saturday noted that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can be roped in to encourage people to take the jab and fight vaccine hesitancy in parts of the country.

“Modi was also briefed that the Union government’s Covid-19 management teams are in touch with state governments to explore and implement innovative methods to reach people for vaccination,” it said.

“As NGOs or social organisations working in the grassroots have good access to the local population, their involvement can help in vaccination drive,” said an official aware of the development.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister directed officials to lend New Delhi’s technological expertise after it was pointed out that many countries have shown growing interest in Co-Win — the India-made app that is the backbone for user registrations and appointments to facilitate the country’s vaccination drive.

A presentation on the progress of the vaccination drive apprised PM Modi about the vaccine supply in the upcoming months and efforts being made to increase production, the government statement said.

Saturday’s meeting was attended by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria among other officials.