The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday congratulated India for crossing the milestone of administering 75 crore anti-Covid doses since the inoculation drive began in January.

“WHO congratulated India for scaling up Covid-19 vaccination at an unprecedented pace. While it took 85 days to administer first 100 million doses, India reached 750 million doses from 650 million in just 13 days," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO's regional director. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday congratulated India for crossing the milestone of administering 75 crore anti-Covid doses since the inoculation drive began in January.

“WHO congratulated India for scaling up Covid-19 vaccination at an unprecedented pace. While it took 85 days to administer first 100 million doses, India reached 750 million doses from 650 million in just 13 days," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO's regional director. 

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This comes in the backdrop of all adult people in six states and union territories -- Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Ladakh and Lakshadweep -- having received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Sharing the news on Twitter, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote: said the country's vaccination drive continues to create new dimensions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with his mantra of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas (together with everybody, with everybody's efforts".

"Congratulations India! In the 75th year of independence, the country has crossed the figure of 75 crore vaccinations," the health minister tweeted.

India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach 30 crore, Mandaviya said.

The country took 24 days to reach 40 crore from 30 crore doses and then 20 more days to cross the 50-crore vaccination mark on 6 August.

It took 19 more days to go past the 60-crore mark and took only 13 days to reach 70 crore from 60 crore on 7 September.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on 16 January with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from 2 February.

The next phase of the vaccination drive commenced from 1 March for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

The country launched vaccination for all people aged over 45 years from 1 April. The government then decided to expand the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from 1 May.