COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: Over 12 lakh people in India get jabbed on April 18, 12.38 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. (Representative image: Reuters)

As many as 12,30,007 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in India on April 15, according to the Union Health Ministry's latest provisional report.

More than 12.38 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across the country so far. On April 18, 9,40,725 beneficiaries received their first shot and 2,89,282 people were given their second dose. This included healthcare and frontline workers, people aged over 60 and beneficiaries above the age of 45 with or without comorbidities.

The government recently revised the gap between the two doses for the Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, to six-eight weeks. However, the interval for the second dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin remains unchanged.

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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 launched for everyone above the age of 45.

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

> India took only 92 days to reach the mark of 12-crore vaccinations, the fastest country to do so, the Union Health Ministry said on April 18. It is followed by the US which took 97 days and China which took 108 days.

> West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the day sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to ensure an adequate supply of COVID vaccines, medicines and oxygen to the state, which has been reporting a sharp spike in fresh infections. In her two-page letter to the prime minister, Banerjee said that vaccines, medicines and oxygen are of paramount importance to contain the second COVID wave.

> DMK president MK Stalin on the day urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct officials to send 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses 'requisitioned' by the Tamil Nadu government immediately and ensure supplies commensurate with the state's population.

> More than 6,000 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 at 'mandis' in Punjab during the ongoing procurement of crops, according to an official statement on the day. Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh said the beneficiaries include farmers, 'arthiyas' or commission agents, and labourers. He further said that Patiala was leading in the vaccination drive with 1,230 people being inoculated, followed by Ferozepur and Bathinda mandis where 1,179 and 800 people got vaccinated respectively.

Here's the vaccination count in some states:

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