India achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 1 billion (100-crore) mark on Thursday.
Hailing the vaccination landmark as a triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 1.3 billion (130 crore) Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country has scripted history.
According to PTI, the prime minister also visited the vaccination centre at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here after the milestone was achieved and interacted with hospital officials, staff and some of the beneficiaries
He was accompanied by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
In a tweet, Mandaviya congratulated the country on achieving the feat and said it was the result of the able leadership of Prime Minister Modi, whom he described as a visionary.
Congratulating the country on the vaccination landmark, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO, South-East Asia, said it was not possible without strong political leadership.
“Huge congratulations to India for marking yet another milestone- a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses administered. This extraordinary feat in a short span was not possible without strong leadership, inter-sectoral convergence, dedicated efforts of the entire health and frontline workforce and the people themselves,” she said
India’s progress must be viewed in the context of the country’s commendable commitment and efforts to ensure that these life-saving vaccines are accessible globally, she said
PTI reports citing official sources, over 75 per cent of India’s all eligible adult population has been administered at least the first dose and around 31 per cent has received both the doses of the vaccine
The UNICEF India also congratulated the Government of India on reaching the milestone while welcoming strides that India has made in recent months to ramp up vaccinations.
This is a tremendous achievement, given the logistical complexity of administering 1 billion doses in less than a year, in a country as vast and diverse as India. As Indian families recover from the recent devastating COVID-19 wave, for many this milestone means hope,” the UNICEF India said.
According to PTI, the top five states which have administered the highest number of doses are Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Mandaviya had on Wednesday appealed to all those who are eligible to get inoculated without delay and contribute to the historic vaccination journey of India.
A series of events have been lined up to mark the milestone including the launch of a song by singer Kailash Kher and an audio-visual film at the Red Fort.
To mark the completion of administering of 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, the largest khadi tricolour in the country, weighing around 1,400 kg, will be displayed at the Red Fort on Thursday, PTI reports citing official sources.
(With inputs from agencies)
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