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.


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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.



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. 
 


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