The number of Indians who have got two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine exceeds those who have got only one dose, the Health Ministry announced on November 17, hailing it as a “significant achievement”. However, a look at vaccination data shows that this is because of a sharp fall in number of those taking their first dose, and India, despite its high net numbers, has for more than a month been lagging in reaching the unvaccinated.

India has administered over 113.68 crore (1,13,68,79,685) doses as of 7 a.m. on November 17. Of these, 75.5 crore were administered as “first dose” and 38.1 crore as “second dose”, which is why the number of fully vaccinated individuals (38,11,55,604) exceeds those who have been administered only a single dose or 37.4 crore (obtained by subtracting 38.1 crore from 75.5 crore).

Editorial | Focus on full vaccination: On India’s COVID-19 inoculation pace

However, the official vaccination data show that since the week October 9-15, the number of second doses has been exceeding the first dose. In that week, nearly 1.6 crore first and second doses each were administered.

Since then, the number of second doses rose slightly to 2 crore and have fallen to 1.5 crore this week (October 13-19). Correspondingly, the number of first doses have now plummeted to 69 lakh.

‘Har Ghar Dastak’

The numbers suggest that vaccination programme is currently going contrary to the aim of the Har Ghar Dastak (Knock on Every Door) campaign.

“The month-long Har Ghar Dastak vaccination campaign, announced on November 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to ensure that all of the adult population is covered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while those who are due for the second doses are motivated to take the second dose. Healthcare workers are conducting door-to-door vaccinations of eligible people across India with a special focus on districts where less than 50% of the eligible population has been vaccinated,” a Health Ministry release noted.

The target

India, in the aftermath of the second wave, said it would fully inoculate all adults — about 94 crore (or 188 crore doses) — by the year-end. With about seven weeks left for the year to end, that would mean close to 10 crore doses a week.

At no point in its vaccination programme has India come close to that mark and the best it has ever done is 6.7 crore (September 11-17).

India is set to approve two vaccines for children and when that happens it expects to see a bump in vaccination numbers.

Slow progress

While India has covered about 27% of its population with two doses, China has covered 74%, the United States 58%, and the United Kingdom 68%. Only 54% in India has got at least one dose, while it is 82% in China, 74% in the U.K. and 68% in the United States.

The Union Health Minister said that he was confident that every Indian would be vaccinated by the end of the month-long Har Ghar Dastak campaign.

“The staunch political commitment of the Government of India to protect every citizen from COVID-19 through vaccination has enabled the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive to achieve several feats ever since its inception on January 16, 2021,” a statement noted.