ICMR targets 1 crore vaccination per day from July 1 onwards
While holding a press conference on the status of corona in the country and the progress of vaccination, Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR said that there has been absolutely no change in the schedule of administering Covishield. It will be only two doses. A second dose will be given 12 weeks after the first dose of Covishield. The same schedule applies to Covaxin.
He said that there is no shortage of vaccine in the country. By mid-July or August, ‘we will have enough doses to vaccinate 10 million people a day. We are confident of vaccinating the entire population by December.’
NITI Aayog member Dr. BK Paul said that our attention is towards Covid disease caused ib children. A large population of children is usually asymptomatic. They often get infections, but their symptoms are minimal or zero. Infection in children did not take a serious form, but the virus can change its behavior in the children’s population. The effect of corona can increase in children. The data showed that a small number of children are being admitted to hospitals. Hospitalization is not required. But if the virus changes its behavior, then this situation can change. We are progressing the preparations. A vaccine trial is going on for children.
Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said that there are 29 states and union territories in the country where less than 5000 cases are being registered daily. Between 28 April and 4 May, there were 531 districts in the country where more than 100 cases were being reported every day. Such districts are now reduced to 295. On May 3, there were 17.13 percent in the country, now they are reduced to only 6.73 percent. There has been a steady decline in active cases.
Today, there has been a decrease in 1.3 lakh active cases in the country in a day. Between 16-22 February, 7.7 lakh tests were being conducted daily in the country. ‘Now we are doing about 20 lakh tests per day. Till now we have done a total of 34.67 crore tests in the country.’ The positivity rate in the country has been recorded at 6.62 percent in the last 24 hours. There are 34 states and union territories in the country where there is a continuous reduction in the positivity rate.
