Over 3 lakh people vaccinated in a single day for the first time: Govt
India has rolled out its massive vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to healthcare workers across the country.
More than 300,000 people were vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in a single day for the first time on Friday, with 13,90,592 inoculated since January 16 when the drive started, according to data from the Union health ministry. The government has said that India had vaccinated the highest number of people on Day 1 under its Covid-19 vaccination program in the world’s largest such exercise. This is much higher than many other countries such as the US, the UK and France.
India has rolled out its massive vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to healthcare workers across the country. The Oxford-AstraZeneca developed vaccine is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as Covishield and Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech Ltd.
India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring the coronavirus vaccines. India had earlier supplied hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir and paracetamol tablets, as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves and other medical supplies to a large number of countries to help them deal with the pandemic.
India has undertaken contractual supplies of coronavirus vaccines to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
India's Covid-19 caseload has mounted to 10,639,684 and its death toll due to the disease stands at 153,184, the health ministry data showed on Saturday morning.