COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: 24.4 lakh people in India get jabbed on May 11, over 17.5 crore shots administered so far

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide vaccination drive on January 16, with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs. The country began the second phase of the vaccination drive from March 1 in which everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities could start getting the vaccine.

From April 1, vaccination was opened for everyone above the age of 45 with or without comorbidities.

India rolled out the third phase of its COVID-19 vaccination drive for those in the 18-45 age group on May 1. The central government has liberalised the vaccination drive to allow states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers.

Registration on CoWIN platform for the third phase began on April 28 and is mandatory for the 18-44 age group.

Here are key developments related to the COVID-19 vaccination process:

> The Union government on May 11 insisted that those eligible for the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine should be given priority and that vaccination wastage should be minimised. Expressing concern over the misinformation on the subject of vaccination, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba mentioned that all vaccines that are procured either by the central government or the state governments, are actually meant for the public in the states and there is no consumption at the central-level.

> The Delhi government on the day said that it will have to shut a large number of Covid-19 jab centres due to a shortage of shots and urged the Centre to use its special power to allow more firms to manufacture vaccines, while also announced the AAP dispensation will float a global tender to procure additional doses.

> Two crore COVID vaccine doses will be procured through global tender in order to meet the increased demand and to facilitate vaccination of the age group of 18-44 years, Deputy Chief Minister and state COVID task force head CN Ashwath Narayan said on the day. In addition to this, an order has already been placed for three crore vaccine doses -- one crore Covaxin and two crore Covishield, he said.

> The US is looking at joint production of Johnson and Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in India and ways to help manufacturers like the Serum Institute of India (SII) to boost production, Daniel B Smith, the Charge D'Affaires of the US embassy, said on the day.

> Actors Shatrughan Sinha, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Daisy Shah received their dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on the day. They took to social media to inform their fans and followers.

> India's star pacer Jasprit Bumrah and women's national team opener Smriti Mandhana said they received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on the day.

Here's the vaccination count for some states:

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