No timeline for completion of Covid vaccine drive: Govt

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 23

The government on Friday informed Parliament that no fixed timeline could be indicated at present for the completion of the Covid vaccination drive, but the expectation was to cover the adult population of 90 crore by December this year.

Responding to a questions by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who asked whether the government proposed to complete the exercise of full vaccination of all adults by 2021 end, Minister of State for Health Bharati Panwar said, “The Covid-19 vaccination is an ongoing and dynamic process, which is being guided by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 on the basis of concurrent scientific evidence. In view of the dynamic and evolving nature of the pandemic, no fixed timeline at present can be indicated for the completion of the vaccination drive, however, it is expected that beneficiaries aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated by December 2021.”

The government said between August 2021 to December 2021, a total of 135 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine were expected to be available.

Asked if there was delay in reaching agreements with domestic vaccine makers, the health ministry said no.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the government was in talks with Pfizer for import of the vaccine and added that Covid inoculation was not a matter of politics.

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