The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country reached around 216.26 crore on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said.
Over 32 lakh vaccine doses were administered on Thursday till 7 pm and the daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late in the night, it said.
With 20,30,259 precaution doses administered to those aged 18-59 years on Thursday, the total precaution doses given in this age group has crossed 1,87,23,638, according to Health Ministry data. Those aged 60 years and above have been administered 2.95 crore doses so far.
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Till now, over 3.83 crore children aged 12 to 14 years have been administered the first dose while more than 6.09 crore adolescents between 15 and 18 years have been given the first dose.
A special 75-day drive to administer precaution doses for free to all aged 18 years and above at government vaccination centres is underway.
The 'Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' drive, which started on July 15 aims at boosting the uptake of Covid precaution doses. It is being held as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.
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The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.
Vaccination for all people aged over 45 years began on April 1 last year. The government then decided to expand the ambit of the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years to be inoculated against Covid from May 1 last year.
Inoculation of adolescents in the 15 to 18 years age group began on January 3. India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.
The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16 and also removed the comorbidity clause making all people aged above 60 eligible for the precaution dose of Covid vaccine. India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years on April 10.
(With PTI inputs)
