18.38 crores of COVID vaccine doses administered in August 2021 in India: Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan

`The average dose per day administered in August is 59.29 lakh. In the last week of the month we administered more than 80 lakh doses per day,` Rajesh Bhushan further said.

New Delhi: Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Thursday (September 2) that India has been vaccinating its people at a remarkable rate. "We administered 18.38 crores of doses in the month of August 2021 alone. The average dose per day administered in August is 59.29 lakh. In the last week of the month we administered more than 80 lakh doses per day," Rajesh Bhushan said.

The Health Ministry official also said that India would resume exports of COVID-19 vaccines only after its own interests are taken care of. A recent surge in immunisations had raised hopes of foreign sales that have been barred since mid-April. "Every country works with an aim of keeping its people, economy and social system safe," Bhushan told a weekly news conference. "Even the public health response to COVID is governed by those goals. So we will also try to achieve those goals and see when would be the right time to export vaccines."

Meanwhile on Thursday, India reported 47,092 new COVID-19 infections and with this, the country’s overall caseload rose to 3.28 crore (3,28,57,937), as per data shared by the Union Health Ministry. The jump is nearly 12 per cent higher than Wednesday and is the biggest single-day rise in around two months. About 509 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours takign the death toll to 4,39,529 , according to the Health Ministry. The total number of active cases presently stands at 3.89 lakh (3,89,583). 

(With Agency inputs)