India has vaccinated 1,01,88,007 healthcare workers and frontline workers so far. The vaccination drive in the country had begun on 16 January.
India’s vaccine coverage ranks third in the world, after the USA (55.2 million doses) and the United Kingdom, according to the Union Health Ministry (16.12 million doses).
“India is third globally, after the US and the UK, in highest cumulative vaccination numbers,” the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.
Over 60 days of vaccination have been completed by the US and the UK, while India has completed 32 days.
Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, 13,193 new Covid-19 cases were registered across the world.
The coronavirus count in the nation has hit 1,09,63,394 with the latest cases, including 1,39,542 active cases and 1,06,67,741 discharges.
With the loss of 97 more lives because of the disease in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 1,56,111.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the total number of samples checked before Wednesday was 20,94,74,862. The ICMR also said that, on 18 February, 7,71,071 samples were tested.
Vaccines for new strains
Interim findings of the ongoing clinical trial indicate that the indigenous Covid-19 vaccines identified from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil will be effective against the mutated virus strains, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Thursday.
Dr Balram Bhargavava, ICMR Director-General, said, “The interim analysis report should be out in a week,”
Bhargava said the third clinical trial of Covaxin BB152 had been completed since both doses had been administered to all the 25,800 participants participating in the exercise.
He pointed out that, as part of the attempts to create a pandemic vaccine, India was the fifth country in the world to isolate the Covid-19 virus.
