India in much better position to fight pandemic but people must keep following all precautions: PM Modi  

He urges all eligible people to get vaccinated

India’s vaccination drive, which was the largest in the world, was science-driven and today the country was in a much better position to fight this deadly pandemic but people must keep following all precautions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a series of tweets on Wednesday.

As the country began offering COVID-19 vaccine to the 12-14 age group and also made available precaution doses to those above 60 years on Wednesday, the Prime Minister urged all eligible people to get vaccinated.

Highlighting the journey of the nation’s vaccination drive, he stated,  “We began work to create vaccines in early 2020, to protect our citizens and strengthen our fight against the pandemic.”

He noted, “The manner in which our scientists, innovators and the private sector rose to the occasion is commendable. In late 2020, I visited three of our vaccine manufacturers and got firsthand details of their efforts to protect our citizens.” In January 2021, India began its vaccination drive for doctors, healthcare and frontline workers, he pointed out.

The aim was to ensure that those at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 get proper protection at the earliest. In March 2021, vaccination was opened to those above 60 years and those over 45 years with comorbidities. Later, vaccination opened for all those above 18. It should make every Indian proud that vaccine was given free of cost for those who wanted it, he said.

“Today, India has administered over 180 crore doses, which includes over 9 crore doses in the age group of 15-17 and over 2 crore precaution doses. This forms an important protective shield for our citizens against COVID-19,” he tweeted.

Over the last year, India’s vaccination drive had been people-powered. Unlike other nations where there was a lot of vaccine hesitancy, people here have not only taken their doses, but also urged others to get vaccinated as soon as possible. This was “heartening to see”.