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India to administer next billion vaccines in next 3-4 months: Vaccine panel head

India to administer next billion vaccines in next 3-4 months: Vaccine panel head

(File photo) COVID-19 vaccine 

On Thursday, India achieved the milestone of administering one billion Covid vaccines to eligible population. As the world leaders came ahead to congratulate India, the country is already making its way to the next goal.

As per the medical experts of the country, India will be able to achieve the target of administering another billion of vaccines in the next three to four months.

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In an exclusive interview to a media house, NDTV, Dr NK Arora, the chief of Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, said that the government and health experts are aiming to vaccinate almost all of the eligible population by the end of this year.

"How do I reach 100% of the population by the end of the year? At least one dose we should be able to give most of the adults by the end of the year and within the next 4-6 weeks second doses will also be given," he said.

The expert also added that while it took India over nine months to reach this target of administering one billion vaccine, the next billion can be achieved within the next three to four months. He explained that the reason behind this delay of India achieving the target was due to a delay in supply.

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"We finished 50 crores on 7th August. In October, we had expected 100 crores because that was the supply side, we knew about it. Then in the coming three months, we have the arrangement for about 80-90 crore doses. In fact, by January we will have nearly 100 crore doses. We should be able to do it (another 100 crore) within the next three to four months," he said.

Till now, at least 31 per cent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated and 75 per cent of the eligible population has received the first dose of approved Covid vaccines.

Arora has claimed that as per the current progress, India will be able to vaccinate 100 per cent of the population with at least the first dose. We are left with 20% which is about 18-20 crore people who will have to be given an additional one dose. We think by the end of this year everybody will get at least one dose and there will be few who will be left for the second dose," he explained.