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India’s aim is to inoculate one crore people per day, said NK Arora, Chairperson, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI) after India achieved record vaccination of more than 82 lakh doses on the first day of its changed policy regime. “What we did today is a big achievement. Our aim is to vaccinate at least one crore people every day. Our capacity is such that we will easily be able to administer 1.25 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine every day,” Arora said in a television interview on Monday.
Not unprecedented
Arora also said the previous day’s record was not unprecedented. In one week’s time, the country gives polio vaccines to about 17 crore children. India's Covid-19 vaccination drive is becoming a prime example of how public and private sectors can join together to better address and solve problems faced by the nation, he added.
Arora further assured that there won’t be any issue regarding supply of vaccine and there will be around 20-22 crore doses next month. He also added that the health infrastructure is well spread out to ensure that the vaccination drive reaches every corner of the country including hilly, tribal and very sparsely populated areas.
Also read: None of the Covid vaccines affect fertility, says Health Ministry
With regard to dosage interval of Covishield vaccine, Arora said, “we are collecting data under the National Vaccine Tracking System - and doing real-time evaluation regarding effectiveness of vaccines, dose interval, region-wise impact, variants; at present, no need is felt for changing dose interval of Covidshield. The basic principle is that our people should get the maximum benefit from every dose of the vaccine. We find that the current dosages are proving to be beneficial.”
Meanwhile, VK Paul, Niti Aayog, Member-Health said that the third wave can be prevented by adopting Covid appropriate behaviour and by vaccinating the majority of people. “Why will there be a third wave if we follow Covid appropriate behaviour and get ourselves vaccinated? There are many countries where even a second wave has not arrived; if we follow Covid appropriate behaviour, this period will pass,” he said.
“We need to do our daily work, maintain our social life, open schools, businesses, take care of our economy; we will be able to do all this only when we are able to vaccinate at a fast pace,” Paul further added. He also said that it is a big mistake to think that our vaccines are unsafe.
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