New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) India is the most pro-vaccine country in the world with more than 98 per cent of the country's eligible population showing willingness to get inoculated against the deadly Coronavirus, as per the findings of the IANS-CVoter Covid Vaccine Tracker.
Mirroring the high acceptance levels of vaccination shown in CVoter Covid Vaccine Tracker, more than 89 lakh vaccines were administered in past 24 hours, as per the data released by Health Ministry. India's cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage (Dose 1+ Dose 2) has now exceeded 133 crore.
Of the 90 crore adult population of the country, more than 81 crore people have got their Dose 1 of the Covid-19 vaccine. According to the findings of the IANS-CVoter Covid Vaccine Tracker, of the remaining 9 crore unvaccinated, 7.5 crore want to their jab to get protection against the lethal virus.
Only 1.5 crore people have shown either unwillingness or hesitancy to get their jab.
The tracker also found that even those who had shown unwillingness or hesitancy to get vaccinated were not rigid against taking the jab. They had their reasons for not getting vaccine and a session or two of counselling by the health personnel may easily convince them to get vaccinated.
As per the vaccination data released by Health Ministry, India is administering around 60–70 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses every day. With this speed of vaccination, India will be able to vaccinate whole of its adult population with first dose by the end of this month.
In the vaccination drive, the entire population may not be counted, as the eligible population is only above 18 years. Compared to India, vaccine hesitancy is much higher in European countries and US.
Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or “black fungus” infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.
India broke its own previous record of Covid deaths in 24 hours after the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said the nation recorded 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection.
Cyclone Tauktae has claimed the lives of at least 12 people and close to 200,000 have been evacuated. The impact of the cyclone so intense that it has uprooted trees and electricity poles.
According to Swaminathan, B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in India last Fall, was a contributing factor in the COVID explosion that India is witnessing right now.
He said that the "endgame" in fighting the pandemic is vaccinating everyone. At the same time, he said that all of India should "shut down", as some states have done.
