In a landmark achievement, India’s cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage crossed 100 crore doses on Thursday. A total of 100 crore, that is 1 billion vaccine doses have been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the CoWIN portal at 9:47 am on Thursday. India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive was launched on 16 January 2021. Initially, the vaccination was opened for health care workers (HCWs) only. From 2 February, frontline workers were made eligible for vaccination. These included state and central police personnel, armed forces personnel, home guards, civil defence & disaster management volunteers, municipal workers, prison staff, PRI staff and revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance, Railway Protection Force and election staff. The vaccination drive was expanded from 1 March to include persons above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified 20 co-morbidities. It was further expanded to all people above 45 years of age from 1 April. From 1 May, all persons above 18 years of age were made eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination. The country took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach the 30-crore mark.
As the country achieved the milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said “India scripted history” and expressed his gratitude to doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. “India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and the collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury,” PM Modi tweeted.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched a song and audio-visual film to celebrate India’s milestone of achieving the 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination mark. Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya said, “India has created history by crossing the historic 100 crore vaccination mark. 100 crore vaccination is a feeling of confidence of the countrymen. 100 crore vaccination is Diwali of self-reliant India.” The event was organised at Red Fort. Union Minister of State for Health Bharti Pravin Pawar was also present on the occasion. Mandaviya tweeted the song “Teeke se bacha hai desh” sung by renowned Padma Shri awardee singer Kailash Kher to promote the vaccination drive across the country.
A report from Geneva, Switzerland, said, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with scientists, health workers and people of India for efforts to protect people from coronavirus. “Congratulations, Prime Minister @narendramodi, the scientists, #healthworkers and people of #India, on your efforts to protect the vulnerable populations from #COVID19 and achieve #VaccinEquity targets,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet.
Also, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, said that 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.
“This extraordinary feat in a short span was not possible without strong political leadership, inter-sectoral convergence, dedicated efforts of the entire health and frontline workforce, and the people themselves,” said Dr Khetrapal. “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. Huge congratulations to India for marking yet another milestone, a billion Covid-19 vaccine doses administered,” Dr Khetrapal Singh added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday congratulated the nation for vaccinating over 100 crore people with the Covid-19 vaccine doses, describing it as a “historic and proud moment”.
The Union Minister, in a series of tweets, said it is a “historic and proud moment today” as India through the visionary leadership and constant encouragement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “set a record by achieving the target of more than 100 crore Covid-19 vaccinations, which has re-acquainted the whole world with the immense capabilities of New India”. He expressed his gratitude to all scientists, researchers and health workers of the country for their contribution in achieving this milestone.
Shah said, “I congratulate the country on this historic achievement and thank all scientists, researchers and health workers who have contributed in this great task by overcoming many challenges and congratulate PM Modi for commitment towards the safety and health of every person.”
BJP president J.P. Nadda said, “India has achieved 100 crore COVID-19 vaccinations in less than 10 months. This shows our government’s commitment to the health safety of every person in the country. I extend heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Modi and express gratitude towards healthcare and frontline workers.” He further said, “Prime Minister Modi has taken pro-active and preemptive measures and constituted ‘vaccine task force’ on April 14, 2020. Within nine months, India has launched two made-in-India vaccination and within 10 months, we achieved the landmark of 100 crores COVID-19 vaccination administration.”
Nadda emphasised the journey from “impossible” to “we can do this” and “we will do this” was not easy. Prime Minister Modi made countrymen believe that together the nation can achieve any target and take the country out of any problem, he said. He added that the Opposition underestimated the making of vaccines but Prime Minister Narendra Modi trusted the scientists that they will make the same within a stipulated time.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that India crossing 100-crore Covid-19 vaccinations is a big achievement and the country will soon be able to vaccinate all its citizens with the first dose of vaccine. He said there are sufficient vaccine stocks available for those eligible for a second dose of vaccine. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, touching 100-crore Covid-19 vaccination is a big achievement. It is clear that India would soon vaccinate all its citizens with the first dose of vaccine. There are sufficient vaccine stocks available for the second dose,” Goyal said. “The PM is personally monitoring the vaccination drive in the country. PM Modi had one-to-one interaction with all the scientists and encouraged them to develop anti-COVID vaccines,” he added. Goyal said the medical staff took this vaccine to different corners of the country.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi by tweeting, “Congratulations to PM @narendramodi, the medical community and frontliners of India for achieving this mammoth task. The way forward & adjusting to the new normal while staying safe is highly dependent on a successful vaccination drive. Congratulations on reaching this milestone.”
Meanwhile, SpiceJet airline unveiled a special livery to honour the contribution of frontline workers and corona warriors who helped make this dream a reality. The livery includes an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and healthcare workers and adorns three Boeing 737 aircraft of SpiceJet. The special livery was unveiled at an event attended by Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya, and Chairman and Managing Director of Spicejet Ajay Singh at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, a \press release issued by Spicejet said.