“100 crore vaccine jabs is just not a number. It is the reflection of the capacity of this country, this is a new chapter of the country, a country that knows how to achieve huge targets,” PM Modi said.
“Everyone is comparing India to other countries but remember India’s starting point was different. The other countries have always participated in medicine and vaccination for a long time and everyone questioned whether India will be able to do the needful. 100 crore vaccine jabs is an answer to all the questions.”
India administered its one billionth Covid-19 vaccine dose on Thursday, months after cases and deaths peaked in the second surge of Covid, which ambushed the country’s health infrastructure.
About three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and 30 percent are fully vaccinated, according to government figures.
The Prime Minister tackled criticism of his call for clapping and clanging utensils to honour frontline health workers in the early days of the pandemic last year.
“People said how taali thalli will help eradicate the virus. But it was a reflection of people’s participation and capacity. This success reflects the important place of technology that not even big nations have today. Our entire vaccine programme is a result of technology. It is science-born, science-driven and science based. Science and scientific approach are at the heart of it,” he said.
PM Modi said along with vaccine coverage, there was “optimism everywhere” and the economy was also recovering.
“Experts are very positive about the Indian economy. There is employment for the young but there are also unicorns will record capital. From Gati Shakti to new drone rules, the economy will get a boost,” he said.
He urged Indians to adopt the mask as a way of life. “Like we wear shoes, we should make it a habit of wearing masks,” he said.
With inputs from NDTV