Over 27 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India

A medical worker prepares to inoculate a person with a dose of the Covishield vaccine , at a government hospital in Amritsar on June 18, 2021. (PTI Photo)

A medical worker prepares to inoculate a person with a dose of the Covishield vaccine , at a government hospital in Amritsar on June 18, 2021. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi, June 18 (PTI): Achieving a significant milestone on the 154th day of the inoculation drive against COVID-19, the total number vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past the 27-crore mark, the health ministry said on Friday.

It said 19,43,765 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group were given the first dose, while 77,989 were administered the second dose of the vaccine on Friday.

Cumulatively, 5,15,68,603 people in the 18-44 age group have received the first dose while 11,40,679 have received the second dose of the vaccine since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive across the country.

Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered the first dose of the vaccine to over 10 lakh beneficiaries each in the 18-44 age group, the ministry said.

A total of 27,20,72,645 Covid vaccine doses have so far been administered across the country, according to a provisional report compiled at 7 pm.

As on the 154th day of the vaccination drive (June 18), a total of 29,84,172 vaccine doses were given -- 26,24,028 beneficiaries received the first dose and 3,60,144 got the second dose -- the ministry said.

The final report for the day would be compiled by late night.

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry underlined.