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Covid-19: India overtakes US as 172 million receive first dose of vaccine

New Delhi - India has fully vaccinated just 44 million people, as against 137 million by the US.

With 172 million anti-Covid jabs administered to people, India has overtaken the US, where 169 million people have got their first shots as of June 3, the Indian government said on Friday.

“We have overtaken the US in terms of number of people who have received at least a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” said Dr V.K. Paul, Niti Aayog member (health), and a key government spokesman. “It is reassuring that we are steadily improving and intensifying the vaccine campaign and it will be intensified more in the days to come.”

According to him, 43 per cent of the 60-plus population and 37 per cent in the above-45 category have received at least one dose of the vaccines.

However, in terms of absolute numbers, India has given at least one shot to just 12.6 per cent of its population as against 50.6 per cent by the US. India has fully vaccinated just 44 million people, as against 137 million by the US.

Paul, however, warned that people should not be complacent about the Covid pandemic; the second wave happened because of such complacence. "When the peak is declining and we suddenly get into same behaviour as a society like in January and February, it (the virus) will come back again in a certain way. We have to buy time to ensure that we achieve high coverage of our vaccination," he said.