Timeline: World's largest vaccination drive - how India administered over 150 crore jabs

A lot has happened since the first vaccine dose was administered on January 16, 2021. The country has battled vaccine hesitancy and vaccine shortage. India kicked off the world`s largest vaccination drive by initially inoculating vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and now it is vaccinating the beneficiaries aged between 15 to 18 against the COVID-19.

Image credit: ANI

New Delhi: Last year on January 16, India commenced the world`s largest vaccination drive to vaccinate its massive population of around 1.38 billion against the COVID-19 infection. In the year since the country`s vaccination drive began, the country has administered 1,56,76,15,454 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The country has also started administering the `precautionary doses` to the healthcare workers, frontline workers and beneficiaries above the age of 60 years.

India kicked off the world`s largest vaccination drive by initially inoculating vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and now it is vaccinating the beneficiaries aged between 15 to 18 against the COVID-19.

#WATCH| "As a result of country's solidarity & PM Modi's commitment during #COVID19, India not only manufactured vaccines but also vaccinated large part of population in short time," tweeted Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Madaviya

(Video source: Dr Mansukh Madaviya's twitter) pic.twitter.com/C3IwfvjAwy — ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2022

A lot has happened since the first vaccine dose was administered on January 16, 2021. The country has battled vaccine hesitancy and vaccine shortage.

The timeline of the "world`s largest vaccination drive"

January 16, 2021: Vaccination drive began for healthcare workers

February 2, 2021: Vaccination drive began for frontline workers

March 1, 2021: Vaccination drive began for beneficiaries aged above 60 years and those with co-morbidities in the 45-60 years age group

April 1, 2021: All beneficiaries aged above 45 years became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination

May 1, 2021: All beneficiaries aged above 18 years became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination

October 21, 2021: India reached the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses

January 3, 2022: Beneficiaries in the age group of 15-18 years became eligible for COVID vaccination

January 10, 2022: Administration of precautionary dose began for frontline workers and vulnerable people above the age of 60 years.

To inoculate the country`s huge population, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave the green light to Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine--Covishield (manufactured under license by Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (India`s indigenous vaccine developed locally by Bharat Biotech), on January 3.

India has also granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to three other vaccines by Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Zydus Cadila.

On October 12, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the drug regulator also recommended granting an emergency use authorization to Bharat Biotech`s Covaxin for children aged between 2-18 years as well.

As India faces the third wave of COVID-19, the vaccination drive will continue to play a decisive role in the battle against the pandemic.