Vaccination added great strength to fight against Covid: Modi

17/01/2022

NEW DELHI, Jan 16: Lauding India's COVID-19 vaccination drive as it completes a year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said it has added great strength to the fight against the pandemic and has resulted in saving lives and protecting livelihoods.
When the pandemic first struck, not much was known about the virus. However, our scientists and innovators immersed themselves in developing vaccines, he noted.
India feels proud that our nation has been able to contribute to fighting the pandemic through vaccines, Modi tweeted.
"I salute each and every individual who is associated with the vaccination drive," he said, adding that the role of our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers is exceptional.
"When we see glimpses of people being vaccinated in remote areas, or our healthcare workers taking the vaccines there, our hearts and minds are filled with pride," he said.
The prime minister asserted that India's approach to fighting the pandemic will always remain science based.
Health infrastructure is also being augmented to ensure that fellow citizens get proper care, he said, asking people to keep following all COVID-19 related protocols.
The countrywide vaccination drive against COVID-19 on Sunday completed one year, during which over 156.76 crore vaccine doses were administered.
According to Health Ministry officials, over 92 per cent of the adult population have received at least one dose while over 68 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
The Centre will issue a postal stamp on Sunday afternoon to mark the completion of one year of the inoculation drive.
Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had called the COVID vaccination drive the "most successful" in the world.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Today the world's largest vaccination campaign completes one year. Started under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, with everyone's efforts, today, it is the most successful vaccination campaign in the world. I congratulate all the health workers, scientists and countrymen."
"Due to the unity of people and commitment of PM Modi, India not only manufactured the vaccination against COVID-19 but also vaccinated a large part of the population. The one year of the COVID vaccination drive represents willpower of the country," Mandaviya tweeted in Hindi.
India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 156.76 crore in a span of an year.
India commenced its nationwide COVID vaccination drive on January 16, 2021. Starting initially by inoculating vaccines to healthcare workers, it was then expanded to frontline workers, followed by people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with comorbidities. Later it was also expanded to all above 45 years of age and then those above 18 years of age.
The vaccination drive for those between the age group 15-18 was started on January 3, 2022 and for administering the precautionary doses to the healthcare workers, frontline workers and sixty plus individuals then commenced on January 10 this year.
As per Union Health Ministry, 1,56,76,15,454 vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries, as per provisional reports till 7 am on Sunday. In the last 24 hours, more than 66 lakh vaccine doses were administered.

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