Coronavirus: Finance ministry proposes 24/7 vaccination drive to revive economic growth momentum

The Ministry of Finance has proposed carrying out round-the-clock Covid-19 vaccination to achieve herd immunity against the infection so that the country can regain its economic growth momentum.

In the monthly report published by the Department of Economic Affairs, the ministry said rapid vaccination was key to reviving investment and consumption cycles in the coming fiscal quarters.

Considering that herd immunity can be achieved when 80% of the population is immune or less susceptible to the infection, the report said that India needs to vaccinate 70 crore residents. “As on date, 19.2 crore people have got the first dose while 4.7 crore have been fully vaccinated,” it said. “If 70 crore people must be vaccinated by September 2021, it is estimated that around 113 crore doses are needed (19 crore for the second dose + 47 crore for two doses).”

The report said that the peak in daily vaccination achieved has been at 42.65 lakh when the immunisation programme was done in one shift of 8-9 hours. “So, doubling the shifts and possibly vaccinating 24×7 for a couple of months – particularly in August and September when supply is expected to increase significantly – can enable the ambitious, but possible, throughout of 1 crore shots a day.”

It said…

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