Covid-19 pandemic: First dose-seekers helped drive record vaccination

People seeking to get their first vaccine shot made for over 70 per cent of the 10.7-million vaccination record achieved on Friday. They had accounted for a lower share of vaccinations towards the end of July (see chart 1).

The top five states in terms of cumulative vaccinations achieved also show a higher share of first dose vaccinations. The ratio is closest for Maharashtra where there have been 2.7 first dose vaccinations for every second dose given. It is 5.4 for Uttar Pradesh (see chart 2). 

Some states show a dip in vaccination ahead of the record Friday numbers. Business Standard looked at the top five states contributing the most to the record. Vaccinations on a given day were compared to average vaccinations on the same day of the week 

for the rest of August. UP, which accounted for more than a quarter of the 10.7 million doses, saw a 9 per cent to 37 per cent decline in vaccinations on five of the previous seven days. Three of the top five states showed a decline on at least four of the seven days leading up to Friday.

Other data analysed may point to some logistical adjustments in the vaccination strategy. There were a record 40.7 million vaccination sessions on Friday. The number of sites through which sessions were conducted is down by over 10,000 from their April high, suggesting perhaps a more concentrated vaccination drive (see chart 3).

As on Sunday morning, a total of 630 million doses had been administered in India. In the last 24 hours, the pace of vaccination has not slowed down much from Friday’s peak — 7.38 million doses were administered.

While the vaccine administration and distribution network is in place, much will depend on consistent vaccine supplies. The two key vaccine makers, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, have been ramping up. Serum Institute says it is well in line for 150 million doses a month for Covishield, while Bharat Biotech claims it is trying to achieve a 1 billion doses annual capacity for Covaxin. On Sunday, the health minister released the first commercial batch of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech’s Ankleshwar plant in Gujarat.