India, which has been devastated by the second Covid wave, should focus increased attention on vaccinating its entire population in least possible time, according to the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

So far, the country has in four months since vaccination drive was launched on January 16 administered over 19 crore vaccine doses, accounting for 13.8 percent of population.

“Vaccinate. Vaccinate, Vaccinate. That’s the key. That’s the learning from across the globe. India should also concentrate on how to vaccinate our population in least possible time”, Kejriwal tweeted on Monday.

Kejriwal’s remarks emphasising the need to focus on vaccination of the entire population in least possible time comes even as the national capital Delhi requires atleast 2.5 crore more vaccine doses if it were to vaccinate all its eligible beneficiaries.

Also read: Lockdown extended in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan

Kejriwal has already expressed Delhi Government’s intent to vaccinate all its people in next three months and urged Centre to ramp up vaccine availability in the country. However, the pace of vaccination in Delhi has taken a hit in recent days with the national capital facing vaccine shortage.

Recently, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that India will be in position to vaccinate its entire adult population by December this year.

On Sunday, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi had announced that after Monday no Covaxin will be available for second doses for those in Delhi in 45+ category. She had urged the Centre to provide Covaxin, otherwise the first dose will be wasted for many. Also, she had said that no vaccines will be injected from Monday for 18-44 yrs and entire immunisation in Delhi will be temporarily shut in all government schools for this age group after Monday due to shortage of vaccines. “For 45+, Healthcare/frontline workers, Covaxin stock left for less than 1 day, and Covishield stock remaining for 7 days”, she said.

Also read: Direct manufactures to take up Covaxin production on a war footing: Delhi CM to Centre

As many as 50,85,703 vaccine doses have been administered in Delhi so far. Nearly 11,51,356 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses. The national capital Delhi on Sunday added 1649 new infections and test positivity rate came at 2.4 per cent. This is the first time since end March that the city had added fewer than 2,000 daily cases.

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