100 crore vaccination mark a new chapter in history: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the 100-crore Covid-19 vaccination mark, congratulating the people of the country for the achievement. He said that it was made possible due to 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'.

The feat was achieved on Thursday (October 21), just over nine months after the nationwide vaccination programme began on January 16, 2021.

"On October 21, India achieved the difficult but unparalleled target of administering 100 crore vaccine doses. This has come about by the unified efforts of 130 crore Indians. I would like to congratulate our citizens on achieving this feat," PM Modi said in his address to the nation.

Watch PM Modi's full address below:

Addressing the nation. Watch LIVE. https://t.co/eFdmyTnQZi

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 22, 2021

He also praised the discipline shown by the people of the country, adding that there was no VIP culture or discrimination in the vaccination drive.

"100 crore Covid vaccine dose landmark not merely statistics, it's a new chapter in history," the Prime Minister said.

He further said that compared to many developed countries, vaccine hesitancy did not become a roadblock in the country's journey towards the 100 crore or one billion vaccination mark.

"This will elevate India's status in the eyes of the world," said the Prime Minister. "India's entire vaccination programme has been science-born, science-driven and science-based."

He said that there werre challenges to manufacture indigenous vaccine, and then to scale up the production. "It was no mean task, but we found the solution through scientific methods," the Prime Minister further said in his address.

The working of CoWIN platform was also hailed by PM Modi, who said it has become an example for entire world. The efforts put in by India's scientists, said PM Modi, has attracted eyeballs across the world.

"Today, Indian companies aren't just getting record investments, but employment generation is also taking place. Along with record investment in start-ups, record start-up unicorns are also being developed," said PM Modi.

Experts in India and abroad are very positive about India's economy, said PM Modi, urging the people of the country to buy goods made in India.

He once again highlighted that the threat of infection is still not over, and urged people to keep wearing mask and following Covid protocols. The Prime Minister exhorted those who have received their vaccine doses to urge others (who are not vaccinated) to take the doses.

The 100 crore vaccination mark was hailed as a grand success, not just by the government but also global bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) which congratulated India on achieving the feat.

While it took the country 202 days to get 50 crore people vaccinated, the next 50 crore came in just 76 days, highlighting the increasing speed of the inoculation programme. India made a record on September 17 (PM Modi's birthday) when 25 crore doses were administered in a single day.