New Delhi: Mansukh Mandaviya needed a Godspeed because he has been handed Health Ministry in testing times. The speeding up of vaccination drive underlines he is packing a punch. September might witness unprecedented 1 crore a day figure of vaccination.
This impressive rate of vaccination instils a hope that India might be sufficiently vaccinated till October if it continues unabated and may be in a position to stall the impending 3rd wave in its tracks. ‘Freedom Day’ might be round the corner, experts opine. According to Health Ministry, a whopping 240 million doses are estimated to be jabbed in September. In last 11 days, it was second time on Tuesday that record one crore jab has been achieved. Sources said vaccination speed is the first litmus test of Mansukh Mandaviya. He is pulling out all stops to make vaccination rallying point of his new role.
Mr Mansukh’s cup of confidence is running over. On August 7, he tweeted- ‘September has started on a high note as India touches 1 crore # COVID19Vaccinations today. He added vaccination has picked up unprecedented speed. ‘Under PM Narendra Modi ji’s leadership, world’s largest Vaccination Drive is scaling massive heights.’
Ministry sources said Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII), globally the largest vaccine maker. is in overdrive to chip in sufficient doses to achieve astronomical target. The lion’s share of massive doses, about 20 crores, would be Covishield. Now there are six vaccines Covishield, Covaxin, ZyCoV-D, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and Sputnik in the armamentarium of India. DCGI is speedily dispensing Emergency use authorization. Sources said vaccine scarcity is not going to stall the drive. The Vaccination drive now does not subsist on two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin.
The pan India drive began on 16th January and 622,989,134 doses have been administered, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare. On August 27, India became the first country to vaccinate more than 10 million people in a single-day. Of half a dozen vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin are indigenous. So far Covishield has dominated the vaccine drive. In the beginning Indian government was blamed for delaying vaccination drive compared to other nations but new drive is bound to plug the gap.
