New Delhi, September 23
The government on Thursday said two-third of India’s 94 crore adults had received at least one dose of the Covid 19 vaccine and one-fourth had received both the doses in a significant ramp up of both the scale and speed of the national inoculation drive.
As of today, 62 crore people have received the first dose and 21.55 crore have received both.
“Sixty-six per cent of all adults have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine and 23 per cent have received both,” Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said today.
Sharing disaggregated data, Bhushan said 63.7 per cent of all Covid 19 doses have been administered in rural vaccination centres (45.75 crore) and 35.4 (25.42 crore) per cent in urban centres. Of all the doses given so far, 52.2 per cent (43.39 crore) have been administered to males, 47.8 per cent (39.72 crore) to females and 0.02 per cent (1,82,208 doses ) to the third gender.
“In September India had daily administered 82 lakh average doses, which is about 17.99 crore through the month so far,” Bhushan said.
In further attempts to scale up inoculations the government today said it had approved at home vaccination for people who cannot visit centres due to illness or disability.
“Such persons will be administered vaccines at home under supervision,” the Member, Health, NITI Aayog said.
The government, meanwhile, cited “lower than expected rate of decline in new Covid cases” and warned against mass gatherings.
ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava said the second wave had not yet concluded and added that “let festivities be observed in families, let’s not travel for festivals because the virus thrives in high population density. Avoid mass gatherings and non essential travel related to festivity and holidays for the next few months.”
India witnessed 31,923 new cases today, with Bhushan also warning, “The second surge has not concluded. We are in midst of a second surge, even while we may be witnessing a decline.
Covid appropriate behaviour has to be maintained at all times and vaccine rate has to be expanded.”
Maximum new cases are still coming from Kerala and Maharashtra with 62.73 per cent of all new cases last week from Kerala. Active cases nationally are 3.01 lakh, with Kerala alone comprising 1,61,596 cases (53.57 per cent of the national burden) followed by Maharashtra’s 43,544 active cases which are 14.44 pc of the national burden.
“Weekly case positivity remains under 3 per cent for the 12th week but 33 districts still have 10 per cent plus positivity with 13 districts from Kerala alone. Out of 23 districts with 5 to 10 per cent positivity, two – Bilaspur and Mandi – are from Himachal,” said Bhushan.
Who is allowed Covid vaccine at home
“Persons who are bed-ridden or have extremely restricted mobility or disability and special needs that may hamper their movement to vaccination centres.” The Centre has asked states to list such persons and arrange their inoculation at home through mobile vaccination teams. Under the government’s near to home vaccination initiative for the elderly and differently abled, 16.13 crore doses have been administered so far. It was found that some people cannot even come near to home centres due to problems. The new “at home vaccine rule” is for them.
