New Delhi, Jan 16 (Bureau) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday released a postal stamp to mark one year of India’s vaccination drive, and said it is a ‘remarkable’ example of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India). The commemorative stamp features a healthcare worker inoculating a senior citizen with Covid vaccine, along with an image of ‘COVAXIN’ vial. It signifies the remarkable work done by frontline healthcare workers and scientific community across the country in protecting the people against the Coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya said, “This is a historic occasion for us. Within a span of one year, we have administered more than 156 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses. Our vaccination program is in fact a role model for the global community.”
The Health Minister expressed his gratitude to all the healthcare professionals, scientific community, vaccine manufacturers and all people for their relentless hardwork and dedication in fighting the Coronavirus pandemic. “India’s vaccination drive is indeed an example of what India can achieve if citizens come together in the spirit of ‘jan bhagidari’ (people’s participation) as remarked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Mandaviya said. Amid the environment of criticism and disbelief, the country gathered its spirits and worked against those who wanted to spread doubts and misinformation against indigenous vaccines and create vaccine hesitancy, he added. “Earlier, the process of vaccine research to vaccine availability for common people took several years but it was the visionary leadership of PM that it could be achieved in just nine months.
Our PM has always encouraged our scientific fraternity and development of indigenous Covid vaccines in record time is an outcome of his strong belief,” Mandaviya said. Union Minister of State for Heath Bharati Pravin Pawar, in her address said, “Developing indigenous vaccines was one of the major challenges. We achieved this by developing and manufacturing indigenous Covid-19 vaccine ‘COVAXIN’ in the shortest duration. Today, around 93 per cent and 69.8 per cent of the eligible population administered with first dose and second dose of vaccines respectively.” The Government of India under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister has taken significant steps to tackle Covid-19 pandemic, she said.