India achieves 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination milestone; Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulates country

India crossed the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination milestone on Thursda y. Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the country on the occasion.

बधाई हो भारत!

दूरदर्शी प्रधानमंत्री श्री @NarendraModi जी के समर्थ नेतृत्व का यह प्रतिफल है।#VaccineCentury pic.twitter.com/11HCWNpFan

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) October 21, 2021

According to provisional data, about 99.70 crore vaccine doses had been administered across the country as of Wednesday. According to official sources, around 75 per cent of India’s all eligible adult population has been administered at least the first dose and around 31 per cent has received both the doses of the vaccine. India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach the 30-crore mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The country took 24 days to reach the 40-crore mark from 30-crore doses and then 20 more days to surpass the 50-crore vaccination mark on August 6.It then took 76 days to go past the 100-crore mark. The top five states which have administered the highest number of doses are Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. “After 100 crore doses are administered, we will go in mission mode to ensure that those who have taken their first dose take their second dose too to ensure they are protected against COVID-19,” Mandaviya had said. Mandaviya on Wednesday had appealed to all those who are eligible to get inoculated without delay and contribute to the historic vaccination journey of India. Here’s what to expect today:

1. Mandaviya will launch a song by singer Kailash Kher and an audio-visual film at the Red Fort.
2. SpiceJet will unveil a special livery at the Delhi airport to celebrate the 100 crore vaccine milestone on Thursday. The health minister, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh will be present on the occasion.
3. Announcements will be made on airplanes, ships, metros and at railway stations when India achieves its target of administering 100 crore doses.
4. Celebrations will also be held at central government hospitals in the city to mark the occasion.
5. The Centre has also said that all those villages which have completed 100 percent vaccination should mark the 100 crore-doses administered achievement by putting up posters and banners complimenting health workers for their role in the exercise.
6. The largest khadi tricolour in the country, weighing around 1,400 kg, will be displayed at the Red Fort on Thursday. The same tricolour with dimensions 225 feet by 150 feet was unfurled on 2 October Gandhi Jayanti in Leh.
7. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning to illuminate 100 heritage monuments across the country in tricolour

Only one other country has administered over a billion vaccine doses - China (crossed 1 billion doses in June), which is also the only other country to have a population of more than one billion. The nationwide vaccination drive started in India on 6 January with the healthcare workers (HCWs) and the frontline workers getting inoculated in the first phase. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 1 March for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from 1 April. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from 1 May. With input from agencies