COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: Over 2.84 lakh people receive coronavirus vaccine on February 26

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A total of 1,37,56,940 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 through 2,89,320 sessions held till the evening of February 26, the 42nd day of the immunisation drive, according to a provisional report of the Union Health Ministry.

On February 26, 2,84,297 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 6 pm through 10,405 sessions, the ministry said. Of these, 1,13,208 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose of the vaccine and 1,71,089 healthcare workers received the second dose, it said.

The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from the day for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four weeks to six weeks for the second dose.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the vaccination drive with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs on January 16.

India’s drug regulator has approved two vaccines - Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) - for emergency use in the country.

According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities.

Here are all developments related to the COVID-19 vaccine in India:

> Maharashtra vaccinated 58,809 people against COVID-19 on February 26, its highest in a day since the drive began on January 16, an official said. With this, the number of people inoculated so far has touched 12,01,096, he said. Of the 58,809 recipients on the day, 31,376 got the first dose, which comprised 8,101 health care and 23,275 frontline workers, and the rest got the second dose, he said.

> Over 13,000 beneficiaries received anti-COVID-19 vaccine in Delhi on the day, a significant fall from the number of people who had got the shots a day before, according to data shared by officials. Over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries have received the vaccine till date in Delhi since the start of the inoculation drive a month ago, with more than 18,900 people receiving jabs on February 25.

> Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said that his government will bear the cost of COVID-19 vaccination in the state if the Centre refuses to do the same. Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the governor's address in the Assembly on the day, Baghel said, instead of focusing on only three crore people, the Centre should provide free coronavirus vaccine to all 135 crore people in India.

> Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla has said that he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him about the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the country.

> The Delhi High Court asked the Centre on the day whether bar associations can be allowed to directly get in touch with the manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine to provide it to lawyers above 60 years as also to those above 45 and suffering from co-morbidities. Justice Prathiba M Singh asked Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Anil Soni to seek instructions on the query and inform the court by March 4, the next date of hearing.

(With inputs from PTI)