India administers record-breaking 2 crore vaccine doses in a day to mark PM’s 71st birthday

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India administered more than 2 crore Covid vaccine doses in a day on Friday in a record-breaking effort to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 71st birthday.</p>
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The achievement smashed the country's previous record of more than 1.3 crore doses in a day on 27 August.</p>
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India has so far given more than 787 million doses of three approved jabs.</p>
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More than half of India's eligible population – some 588 million people – have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to official data.</p>
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The one crore-mark was crossed by the afternoon, after which ministers and BJP leaders put out tweets urging more people to get their shots.</p>
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"On PM @Narendra Modi Ji''s birthday, till 1:30 pm, the country has crossed the mark of 1 crore vaccines, the fastest so far, and we are continuously moving forward. I believe that today we will all make a new record of vaccination and give it as a gift to the prime minister," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted with the hashtags "VaccineSeva" and "HappyBdayModiji".</p>
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The government's tracker showed around 42,000 vaccinations in a minute, said a senior health officer.</p>
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"Celebrating the relentless efforts of India's vaccinators against COVID-19, we have added a ticker to show vaccinations happening in near real-time. We are currently clocking over 42,000 vaccinations/minute or 700/second," tweeted National Health Authority chief RS Sharma.</p>
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"Our top priority is to give 100 per cent first doses of the vaccine in poll-bound states," said government sources, referring to state elections next year.</p>
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The vaccination campaign is at the core of the BJP's three-week celebrations to mark the Prime Minister's 71st birthday.</p>
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Since 16 January, India has administered more than 78.7 crore doses.</p>
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About 58.8 crore people have received the first dose and another 19.5 crore have received both doses so far.</p>
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India gave 60 lakh jabs on an average every day in August, compared to 43 lakh daily jabs in July, according to official data. But September has seen a rise with more than 74 lakh doses administered daily as vaccine production has been stepped up in the country.</p>