On Thursday, India is expected to reach the one billion COVID-19 vaccine dose milestone, making it the second country after China to reach this mark.
Vaccines in India were first rolled out for healthcare workers on January 16 and then for frontline workers on February 2. From March 1, those over 60 years of age and those above 45 years with comorbidities became eligible. Thereafter, all those above the age of 45 could get inoculated from April 1. Finally, the drive was rolled out for the country’s entire adult population on May 1.
By April 10, India touched the 100 million mark and then reached the 300 million and 500 million marks on May 9 and August 6, respectively. According to the MyGov website, the top-performing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Gujarat.
To celebrate the achievement, the Central government has organised several events. These include the release of a song and an audio-visual film, along with the hoisting of the country’s largest Khadi flag in Red Fort, a historical monument in New Delhi. Several central ministers are also planning on trips to the best-performing states to express their gratitude.
Meanwhile, the government continues to push for the importance of receiving the second dose of the vaccine. Indian Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has been calling on states to focus on districts with low vaccine coverage. Consequently, data shows that the previous trend of the number of first doses administered each day exceeding the second dose has been reversed since October 13.
However, while the Indian government plans celebrations to mark this historic moment in its vaccine drive, some opposition leaders have expressed their reluctance to offer praise. To begin with, despite reaching the one billion mark, India is well off-course to meeting its own target of inoculating the entire adult population by the end of the year. According to the most recently conducted census, the adult population of the country stands at 950 million. With just 70 days left in the year, it remains unlikely that all of them will be fully vaccinated by the start of 2022.
As per government data, while 75% of the population has received its first dose of the vaccine, a meagre 31% have been fully vaccinated. According to the Bloomberg tracker, this is one of the largest disparities seen from data across the globe. This has been attributed to inaccessibility and poor healthcare facilities.
In addition, those under 18 years of age, who comprise 40% of India’s population, continue to be excluded from the vaccine drive altogether. While one of the candidates has been approved for individuals aged over 12, the rollout is yet to begin.
As the country sees a lull in its previously surging COVID-19 cases, the government continues to appeal to those eligible to get vaccinated. However, like elsewhere in the world, a drop in cases has resulted in a concurrent decrease in the urgency to get vaccinated.