(Update: We deeply regret making an inadvertent error in the excerpt of the story. It has now been rectified.)
New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Friday said the government expects to vaccinate the entire adult population of the country against Covid-19 by the end of December, adding, however, there is not set deadline for the inoculation of the rest of the population yet.
In view of the dynamic and evolving nature of COVID-19 pandemic, no fixed timeline at present can be indicated for the completion of vaccination drive, however, it is expected that all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated by December 2021,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
READ: Indian Govt’s Expert Group In Talks With Pfizer For Supply Of COVID Vaccine: Union Health Minister
An identical reply was given by his deputy Bharati Pravin Pawar in the Lower House in response to a question by Congress member Rahul Gandhi and TMC's Mala Roy whether the government proposes to complete the exercise of full COVID vaccination of all adults by the end of the year.
Pawar also said there has been no delay in entering into purchase agreements with domestic COVID vaccine manufacturers and advance payments have also been made for the supply orders placed with them, reported news agency PTI.
Mandaviya said COVID-19 vaccination is an ongoing and dynamic process, which is being guided by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) on the basis of concurrent scientific evidence.
Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who had highlighted earlier in May that only about 3 percent of India’s population has been fully vaccinated or received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine so far, former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had claimed that the opposition has come up with such statements just to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"India's vaccination will be completed before 2021. The Health Ministry has given a blueprint for how 1.08 billion people, with 2.16 billion doses, will get vaccinated before December 2021," he said as quoted by Hindustan Times.
With almost 20 crore doses already administered, India ranks second in the world and the vaccination rates are expected to rise starting in August, he had said, dismissing the Congress leader's criticism of the country's slow inoculation programme.
According to Our World in Data, a data-driven website, India has fully vaccinated roughly 6.4 percent of its adult population, which is estimated to be 94 crore people. According to the most recent data, 41.8 crore doses were given out and 8.76 crore persons were fully vaccinated as of July 21.
The SII’s Covishield (the made-in-India version of the Oxford Astrazeneca shot), Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Russia's Sputnik V vaccines are all being used in India's immunisation campaign.
The Centre has approved the use of Moderna's vaccine in an emergency use, but it is still on its way to India.