COVID review meet: PM Modi hails vaccination drive, says `important to maintain momentum`

PM Modi in a COVID-19 review meet, stressed the need to ensure that most Indians are vaccinated at the earliest.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a review meet on COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday where he was brought up to speed about the nation-wide vaccination drive. The prime minister expressed satisfaction at the rising speed of vaccinations and emphasised the importance to carry 'this momentum forward', a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said. 

Officials apprised PM that deliberations are on with state governments to explore other methods to raise daily vaccination numbers. The officials further, informed about the supply of vaccine doses for the upcoming months and efforts being made to ramp up production.

Over 3.77 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in the last six days which is more than the entire population of countries such as Malaysia, Canada and Saudi Arabia, he government said in a statement. After a high-level review meeting held by Modi with top officials on the progress of the vaccination drive.

It was noted that 128 districts in the country have vaccinated more than 50 per cent of over 45 years of population and 16 districts have vaccinated more than 90 per cent of this age group.

The meeting was held virtual and was attended by senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Health Secretary and NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul.

The data by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare claims that more than 31 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.