COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: Over 9.94 lakh people received coronavirus vaccine on March 3

Representative image: Reuters

A total of 1.66 crore beneficiaries have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in India so far, according to the Union Health Ministry's provisional report.

On March 3, the 47th day of the immunisation drive, over 9.94 lakh beneficiaries were vaccinated, the ministry said. Of these, 8.31 lakh beneficiaries were given the first shot of the two-dose regime. About 1.62 lakh healthcare and frontline workers received the second dose, the ministry added.

The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started for beneficiaries who have completed 28 days since receiving the first shot. The emergency use approval granted by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose to be administered.

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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 has begun the second phase of the vaccination drive in which everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to get the vaccine.

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.

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

> Over 25,000 beneficiaries, including 13,794 senior citizens, received shots of the COVID-19 vaccine in Delhi on March 3, according to data shared by officials. In the 45-59 years age group, 1,625 beneficiaries received the jab, a senior official said. Over 5,100 senior citizens in Delhi had received their first shots of the vaccine on March 1 when the second phase of the vaccination drive had begun in the national capital.

> Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, his wife Kaisa Rio and Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. "I am feeling normal", Rio said while speaking to reporters after taking the vaccine at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK), a government facility for vaccination.

> Bharat Biotech's vaccine, whose emergency use approval before finishing final stage testing had triggered a row, showed 81 percent efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in an interim analysis of the advanced clinical trial, the company said, boosting prospects of its usage.

> Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in New Delhi.

> Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Thiruvananthapuram, joining his counterparts in Odisha and Bihar in getting the shot. The 75 years-old Left Front veteran had already informed that he would take the shot soon.

> Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will receive his first dose of coronavirus vaccine on March 4 at the city's LNJP hospital, a government statement said.

> A delegation of Trinamool Congress leaders met the Election Commission officials in Kolkata and alleged that the use of PM Modi's photo on advertisements of various central schemes and the COVID-19 vaccination certificates, distributed by the Union health ministry, violated the model code of conduct.

(With inputs from PTI)