Cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India cross 137 crore: Health ministry

A healthcare worker gives a dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), manufactured by Serum Institute of India, to a farmer in his field, during a door-to-door vaccination drive in Banaskantha district in the western state of Gujarat. (Representative image: Reuters)

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 137 crore on Saturday, the Union health ministry said. More than 69 lakh (69,21,097) vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on Saturday, it said.

The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said. 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 2.

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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 co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years to be vaccinated from May 1.