India’s Total Covid-19 Vaccination Coverage Surpasses Five Crore Doses: Health Ministry

In a significant milestone in India's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, over 5 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far.

India rolled out the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive on 16 January 2020, by first administering the vaccines to health care workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs). In the second phase of the vaccination drive, which began on 1 March, the vulnerable population including people above 60 years of age and those above 45 with comorbidities are being vaccinated against the Coronavirus.

According to the Health Ministry, 5,08,41,286 vaccine doses have been administered through 8,23,046 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today (24 March).

"These include 79,17,521 HCWs (1st dose), 50,20,695 HCWs (2nd dose), 83,62,065 FLWs (first dose) and 30,88,639 FLWs (second Dose), 47,01,894 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (first Dose) and 2,17,50,472 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years," the Health Ministry said on Wednesday (24 March).

As many as 23,46,692 vaccine doses were administered on the 67th day (23 March) of the vaccination drive.

"Of the total, 21,00,799 beneficiaries were vaccinated for first dose and 2,45,893 HCWs and FLWs received second dose of vaccine," the ministry said.