New Delhi: With India crossing the 150-crore Covid-19 vaccination mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a "remarkable day" and said the inoculation drive had ensured that many lives are saved.
"A remarkable day on the vaccination front! Congratulations to our fellow citizens on crossing the 150 crore milestone. Our vaccination drive has ensured that many lives are saved. At the same time, let us also keep following all COVID-19 related protocols," PM Modi tweeted.
"India is grateful to all those who have been working to make our vaccination drive a success. We thank our doctors, scientists, innovators and the health care workers who are vaccinating the people. I urge all those eligible to get their shots. Together, let’s fight COVID-19," PM Modi further said.
Union Health and Family Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday termed it to be a “historic achievement” made possible because of the healthcare workers’ relentless hard work under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s glorious leadership.
“Historical effort. Historical achievement. The country has crossed the historic figure of 150 crore corona vaccines today due to successful leadership of PM @NarendraModi and the relentless hard work of the healthcare workers. When everyone makes ‘efforts’ together then any goal can be achieved,” Mandaviya wrote on Twitter in Hindi.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi congratulated the nation for achieving the milestone of administering 150 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses.
Speaking after inaugurating the second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in West Bengal capital Kolkata through video conference, he said India is achieving the historic milestone in the first week of the first month of the year itself.
Asserting 150 crore doses in less than one year is a significant achievement and symbol of India’s will power, Prime Minister Modi said it denotes the country’s new “confidence, aatmnirbharta and pride”.
“As cases are rising due to the Omicron variant, this shield of 150 crore vaccines doses becomes all the more important,” he added.
Earlier on October 21 last year, the Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the nation surpassed the 100-crore mark.
The nationwide Covid vaccination drive was rolled out earlier on January 16, 2021, with the healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.
The vaccination of frontline workers began from February 2 last year.
The next phase of vaccination commenced from March 1, 2021, for the people aged over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.
The vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years was launched from April 1 last year.
The Central government then expanded its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be vaccinated from May 1, 2021.
In tune with the same, the next phase of vaccination has commenced for adolescents in the 15-18 years age group from January 3 this year.