Vaccinations In India Slide Further, 7-Day Average Lowest In 2 Months

Nearly all states have complained of COVID-19 vaccine shortage since the central government did not place enough orders for shots last year amid a global scramble.

A seven-day rolling average of vaccinations in India showed an alarming decline for the seventh day on Thursday, as the Health Ministry said only 11.66 lakh people got their jabs a day ago, mounting concern about forthcoming waves of infections. At 13.42 lakh, the rolling average number of vaccinations was lowest since March 14 when the second wave of coronavirus infections, which overwhelmed the country's healthcare system and left thousands dead, was scaling up. Despite being the hub of vaccine manufacturing in the world, India has been able to fully inoculate less than 3 per cent of its total population as the central government did not place enough orders for shots last year amid a global scramble. Besides making India one of few countries in the world where vaccinations will not be free for all citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government abruptly passed on most of the burden to states last month.