India has achieved a significant milestone by administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses. This is undoubtedly a great achievement but certainly not a reason to become complacent as far as the fight against the pandemic is concerned. The signs are ominous with the number of positive cases showing an upward trend once again. This is also happening in some other countries in the world with China, where it all began, once again in the midst of a serious crisis. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been asking people to be not only careful and strictly follow the COVID protocol but also come to terms with the fact that we may have to live with the virus forever.
Vaccination, it goes without saying, is our most potent weapon against the virus. Though it does not guarantee complete immunity, it definitely boosts our immune system and makes it less vulnerable to COVID-19 which has a debilitating impact on the human body even after we recover from the disease. Quite a few people have died due to post-recovery complications.
There is no denying the fact that India’s achievement in the field of vaccination has been enormous. It is perhaps the only country in the world where so many people have been vaccinated so quickly. But we still have a long way to go given the size of our population. Much more important at this stage is the inoculation of young people up to the age of 18.
Considering that a full-fledged vaccination drive in India was launched much later than some other countries and we also came under strain due to the shortage of raw materials for vaccine making at one stage, our progress on this front has been spectacular. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced free vaccines for all and promised all states uninterrupted supply, even he was aware of the huge challenge that this commitment signified. There were occasional hiccups with some states reporting a shortage once or twice but the programme, by and large, has been carried out smoothly.
The Prime Minister has shown exemplary leadership in tackling the COVID-19 crisis. He has not only ramped up the vaccination drive but also upgraded health facilities in different parts of the country with hospitals being equipped with ultra-modern machines and oxygen plants being set up to ensure that no one does due to its shortage. The PM CARES fund has been wisely used for the purpose of fighting the pandemic, which has triggered havoc not just in India but around the world.
India, in fact, has fared much better than many other countries in this fight. With the Prime Minister leading from the front, the government at the Centre has been saving not only lives but also livelihoods, which is equally important considering that the pandemic has taken a huge toll on the country’s economy. The Prime Minister is fully aware of this fact and has been taking suitable measures to ensure that the economy remains on an even keel. With Modi at the helm, India can weather any storm. His handling of the COVID-19 crisis is proof of that.
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