Govt allows 24x7 Covid vaccination; Covaxin efficacy 81%

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday said it has permitted round-theclock COVID-19 vaccination as part of efforts to speed-up the immunisation drive which received a fresh boost with the makers of the indigenous Covaxin saying it has shown an interim efficacy of 81 per cent in Phase 3 clinical trials.

Easing restrictions, all private hospitals were on Tuesday allowed to give the vaccines if they adhere to the laid down norms, while the 9 am to 5 pm timing was also done away with. More than 1.56 crore (1,56,20,749) vaccine doses have been administered in the country through 3,12,188 sessions since January 16, according to a provisional report till Wednesday 7 am.

“The government has lifted the time restriction to increase the speed of vaccination. People can now get vaccinated 24x7 according to their convenience. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the value of health as well as the time of citizens,” Health minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted in Hindi, a day after he got his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, a 45-year-old man in Maharashtra died on Tuesday, shortly after taking a second dose of the anti-Covid vaccine. Doctors say the cause of death is not known yet.

Sukhdev Kirdat from Bhiwandi, who worked as a driver with an eye specialist, fainted in an observation room around 15 minutes after taking the second dose.

The father of two was taken to the Indira Gandhi memorial hospital nearby, where he was declared dead. Doctors say the cause of death is not known yet and maybe clearer after a post mortem. He had taken his first dose on January 28 as a health worker.

With India on Wednesday recording 6,92,889 vaccine doses in a single day till 7 pm, the country’s cumulative number of shots administered to beneficiaries have crossed 1.63 crore on the 47th day of the nationwide drive.

As per Health ministry’s provisional report, a total of 1,63,14,485 vaccine doses have been given till 7 pm. Out of the total doses, 67,75,619 doses have been given to healthcare workers (HCF), who have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 28,24,311 HCWs have taken the second dose, while 57,62,131 frontline workers (FLW) administered the first dose and 3,277 FLWs have been given the second dose.

A total of 8,44,884 beneficiaries belonging to 60 years and above age group and 1,04,263 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities have been inoculated.

Meanwhile, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,11,39,516 with 14,989 new infections, while the active cases were recorded above 1.7 lakh after a month, according to the ministry’s data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll increased to 1,57,346 with 98 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The active caseload has increased to 1,70,126 which comprises 1.53 per cent of the total infections, the data stated.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,08,12,044 which translates to a national COVID19 recovery rate of 97.06 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.41 per cent.