"Rapid Vaccination Key, Aim To Vaccinate 1 Crore People A Day": Centre

On Monday - the first day of the central government's renewed vaccination push - CoWIN data showed that 86,16,373 vaccine shots had been administered

Rapid vaccination is key to lifting Covid restrictions, re-opening the economy and returning to normal, the government said Tuesday, a day after a renewed push to vaccinate all eligible beneficiaries resulted in a record 86.16 lakh people being administered doses. The government also dismissed concerns about availability of doses - an issue that has been flagged by several states over the past weeks and months - saying it anticipated supply of 20-22 crore doses next month, and planned to vaccine "at least one crore people every day". "We need to do our daily work, maintain our social life, open schools, businesses, take care of our economy; we will be able to do all this only when we are able to vaccinate at a fast pace," Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said in statement issued this morning. Dr Paul also highlighted the need to get vaccinated as soon as possible, saying: "The second wave has now receded and it is the best time to take the COVID-19 vaccine."