New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS): India administered an extremely low number of doses on Sunday as only a little above 28,000 beneficiaries turned out to take the jabs during the day since only 12 states participated in the vaccination drive, the data shared by the Union Health Ministry revealed.
The ministry informed that 28,059 beneficiaries including healthcare and frontline workers were vaccinated on Sunday pushing the tally of vaccinated people cross 58 lakh mark on the 23rd day of the countrywide Covid-19 vaccination program. Of these, 12,978 were healthcare workers, while the other 15,081 beneficiaries were frontline workers.
The figures shared were preliminary and final reports for the day would be compiled by late night on Sunday.
"The cumulative number of healthcare workers and frontline workers vaccinated against Covid-19 is 58,03,617, as per the provisional report. Total of 1,16,478 sessions have been held so far. 1,295 sessions were held till 6.40 p.m. on Sunday," it stated.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the 12 states which reported the vaccination activity on Sunday are Assam, Bihar, Gujarat Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand.
It also shared that of the total cumulative coverage, 53,17,760 are healthcare workers and 4,85,857 are frontline workers.
Despite the low turnout, the Union Ministry claimed that the cumulative figure of vaccination in India has placed the country on the third spot among nations with the highest doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered, after the US and the UK.
The inoculation exercise to administer the first dose of Covid vaccines started with the healthcare workers first from January 16, whereas the frontline workers started receiving vaccine shots from February 2.
NITI Aayog member (health) and head of the national Covid task force, Dr VK Paul had said last week that the second dose of Covid vaccines would be provided February 13 onwards.
In view of it, the Centre has directed all states and Union Territories to complete the administration of the first dose of vaccines to their healthcare workers by February 20 and conclude mop-up round by February 25. It also directed them to push beneficiaries count beyond the daily target of 100 per session.