A year after the vaccination drive took off, India has administered over 157.70 crore doses to fight the Corona pandemic. Around 93% of the adult population has been vaccinated with the first dose and 70% with the second dose of the vaccine, according to the Union health ministry. India’s vaccine drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021, and three vaccines – Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik – are being administered. The 100-crore mark was reached on October 21 last year and the 150-crore mark on January 7. The highest single-day vaccination of 2.5 crore vaccines was achieved on September 17, 2021. In the last 365 days, 91.07 crore of the first doses and 65.63 crore second doses have been administered. Till Sunday evening, 43.10 lakh precautionary doses had been administered and 3.44 crore children in the 15-18 age group had received their vaccine. Nearly 135.61 crore of the Covid-19 vaccines administered in the country were Serum Institute of India’s Covishield doses while 21 crore were Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin doses. Till date,11 states and Union Territories have achieved 100% first dose vaccination. Three states/UTs have achieved full vaccination. Total registrations on the Co-Win digital platform are nearing the 100-crore mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s vaccination programme had added great strength to the fight against Covid-19 and it has led to saving lives and protecting livelihoods. He saluted the people associated with the vaccination on completion of the one-year drive and said the role of our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers is exceptional. “Today, as we celebrate one year of the world’s Largest Vaccine Drive, we have witnessed what happens when 1.3 billion people come together for a common goal,” the PM said. “When the Covid-19 pandemic first struck, we did not know much about the virus. However, our scientists and innovators immersed themselves in developing vaccines.” he said. Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya released a commemorative postal stamp on the first anniversary of India’s National Covid Vaccination programme. The stamp features a healthcare worker inoculating a senior citizen with the Covid-19 vaccine along the image of a Covaxin vial. Mandaviya credited the indigenous research and development, streamlined production and distribution of vaccines for reaching this landmark amidst the environment of criticism, doubts, disbelief and misinformation in the country. Till date, eight vaccines have been approved in the country, the minister said. Source: The Financial Express

Along with the administration of 32,90,766 jabs in a day, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 141.37 Cr (1,41,37,72,425) as per provisional reports till 7 am today, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. As per the ministry, this has been achieved through 1,50,19,426 sessions. The recovery of 7,091 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients (since the beginning of the pandemic) to 3,42,30,354, stated the ministry. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.40 per cent, the highest since March 2020. Sustained and collaborative efforts by the Centre and the States/UTs continue the trend of less than 15,000 daily new cases that are being reported for the last 59 days now. 6,987 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. India's Active Caseload is presently at 76,766. Active cases constitute 0.22 per cent of the country's total Positive Cases, which is the lowest since March 2020. According to the ministry, the testing capacity across the country continues to be expanded. The last 24 hours saw a total of 9,45,455 tests being conducted. India has so far conducted over 67.19 crore (67,19,97,082) cumulative tests. While testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, Weekly Positivity Rate at 0.62 per cent remains less than 1 per cent for the last 42 days now. The daily positivity rate reported to be 0.74 per cent. The daily positivity rate has remained below 2 per cent for last 83 days and below 3 per cent for 118 consecutive days now, said the ministry.   Source: ANI

The cumulative COVID-19 jab doses administered in India crossed 138 crore on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said. Only on Monday Over 58 lakh vaccine doses were administered on Monday till 7 pm, it said. According to the ministry official, the daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late in the night.The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The second phase of COVID-19 vaccination started from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. And then from april 1, the country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years to be vaccinated from May 1.   Source: Rtv

Nearly 93 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 92.60 crore on Wednesday, the Indian Health Ministry said. On Wednesday till 8.30 PM More than 40 lakh vaccine doses were administered. The daily vaccination number is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said. The vaccination exercise as a shield to protect the most vulnerable people in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and intensely monitored, the ministry underlined. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified critical conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years since april 1 this year. Then the government changes the decision to expand its vaccination by allowing everyone above 18 to get vaccine from May 1. Source: The Economic Times

The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 70 crore, with the last 10 crore doses being given in just 13 days, the fastest so far, the Indian health ministry said on Tuesday. The coronavirus has to be defeated and vaccination is the way to victory, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. “Soaring higher on Covid-19 vaccination under PM (Prime Minister) @NarendraModi ji’s leadership. 70,00,00,000 vaccine doses administered to date,” he tweeted. Congratulations to all health workers and people for this momentous achievement, he said. India took 85 days to touch 10 crore vaccinations, 45 days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach 30 crore, Mandaviya said. The country took 24 days to reach 40 crore from 30 crore doses and then 20 more days to cross 50 crore vaccinations on August 6. It took 19 more days to go past the 60-crore mark and took only 13 days to reach 70 crore from 60 crore, the fastest so far, he said on Twitter. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2nd. The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination commenced from March 1st  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 more than 45 years from April 1st . The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1st. Source: The Indian Express BM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today directed the authorities concerned to roll out the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine from next Thursday (April 8) as per preschedule. She made the confirmation while chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting, held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. “The Prime Minister has made it clear to follow the prefixed roll-out plan for the second dose of Covid-19 inoculation scheduled to start from April 8,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters after the meeting. Besides, the roll-out of the first jab of the covid-19 vaccine will conclude tomorrow (Tuesday), he said. Replying to a query, the Cabinet Secretary said there will be no problem with the stock of the second dose of the vaccines as Bangladesh will get the supply of the Jabs from India within the scheduled time. Answering to another question regarding extension or end of the ongoing countrywide restrictions to stop the spread of fresh surge of Coronavirus pandemic, he said the government will review it on Thursday next and would take next course of action considering the situation. Khandker Anwarul Islam said the Cabinet today cleared a proposal to provide two festival allowances (each Taka 10,000) to the gallantry award holding freedom fighters, while Taka 2,000 as the Bengali New year allowance to gallantry award holding freedom fighters, war-injured freedom fighters and martyred freedom fighter’s families and Taka 5,000 as the Victory Day allowance to the alive freedom fighters. Now the gallantry award holding freedom fighters are not getting the two festival allowances, the Bengali New Year allowance and the Victory Day allowance, while war-wounded freedom fighters are not getting the Bengali New Year allowance and the Victory Day allowance and the martyred freedom fighter’s families are not receiving the Bengali New Year allowance, he said. In addition, the Cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of Chattogram Port Authority Bill- 2021 keeping the provision of one-year jail or Taka five lakh fine as the capital punishment predominantly on charges of environment pollution. “If anyone flouts the law, the person would be awarded with maximum one month to one year jail or Taka one lakh to Taka five lakh fine or both but depending on severity of his offences,” said Anwarul Islam. The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Bill, 2021 keeping a provision of one-stop service to ensure quick necessary infrastructural services in BSCIC Industrial Estates and to attract local and foreign investments there. The amount of authorized capital has been increased to Taka 3,000 crore from Taka one crore in the draft law, said the Cabinet Secretary. The punishment for different offences, which are related to the maintenance of 79 industrial estates, would be six months to two year imprisonment or Taka 10,000 to Taka 100,000 as penalty or both, he said. If anyone provides false information, grabs boundary walls, land or hands over plots illegally, the person will face punishment, he added. Source: BSS AH

A total of 46,509 people were administered Covid-19 vaccines on the second day of countrywide vaccination campaign. Of them, 35,843 were male and 10,666 female, according to the data of Management Information System of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). As of today (Monday), the number of vaccine receivers is 77,669 as 31,160 were vaccinated on the first day of the campaign, it added. People aged 40 years and above now can get registered to receive COVID-19 vaccines, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today. “Now people aged 40 years and above will be able to get registered to receive COVID-19 vaccines, while as the frontline fighters, the health officials of both private and public hospitals will get priority in vaccination,” he said. To this end, decisions were taken in line with the instruction of the cabinet meeting today with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. According to earlier decision of the government, people aged 55 years and above were only eligible for taking vaccines but the decision has been revised a day after launching of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign yesterday. “The health minister has already directed the authorities concerned to bring commoners aged 40 years and above under coronavirus inoculation coverage,” senior information officer of the ministry Maidul Islam told BSS. The vaccination drive was conducted at 50 hospitals in Dhaka city and 1005 hospitals outside the capital today, the DGHS said, adding the immunization programme will begin at 8am and it will continue till 2.30 pm everyday. But some hospitals will continue the vaccination programme throughout the day, the health official said. The inoculation would be administered among people in government hospitals up to upazila level while over five lakh people so far got them registered to be inoculated. Source: BSS AH