After Monday's record, vaccination sees big dip

After achieving a historic milestone of 88.09 lakh COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday, a significant dip was recorded in the inoculation numbers on Tuesday as only 54.24 lakh vaccine doses were administered, according to an updated data of the Union health ministry on Wednesday.

A total of 29.46 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the 'Nationwide Vaccination Drive' so far.

As the new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from Monday, India achieved a "historic milestone" of administering 88.09 lakh coronavirus vaccine doses in a single day on June 21, but the numbers dipped to over 53.4 lakh on Tuesday.

The Congress said vaccination cannot be seen as a "one-day fixture" and alleged that the single-day record spike was a "pre-planned image-booster".

Attacking the government, senior Congress spokesperson P Chidambaram said, "Hoard on Sunday, vaccinate on Monday, and go back to limping on Tuesday. That is the secret behind the world 'record' of vaccinations on a 'single day'."

"I am sure the 'feat' will find a place in the Guinness book of records! Who knows, there may be a Nobel Prize for Medicine awarded to the Modi government," he said.

"'Modi Hai, Mumkin Hai' must now read 'Modi Hai, Miracle Hai'," the former Union minister added.

Another senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said no doubt there was a big spike in the rate of vaccination on Monday but the real question is how vaccine supply to states is being allocated and distributed.

There is total "non-transparency" in this regard from the government, he alleged.

"Vaccination cannot be seen like a one-day fixture. Clearly, yesterday was a pre-planned, image-booster. Today we have not sustained that level. We simply have to sustain at least 80 lakhs a day for the next four-five months," he said in another tweet.

With inputs from PTI