India’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme Saved 34 Lakh Lives: Stanford Report

New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 vaccination programme saved 34 lakh lives and generated a net economic benefit of $15.4 billion by preventing losses, according to a working paper by the Stanford University and Institute for Competitiveness.

The report, released on Saturday by Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya during his virtual address at the university’s ‘The India Dialog’, highlighted three aspects of India’s strategy during the coronavirus pandemic — containment, relief package and vaccine administration.

The Stanford report found that the world’s largest immunisation programme succeeded in avoiding a total loss of $18.3 billion, with the net benefit being $15.4 billion after deducting the cost of immunisation drive.

The vaccination drive, which started in the country on January 16, 2021, covered 97% of eligible population — all above 12 years — with the first dose and 90% with the second dose.

Over 2.2 billion doses have been administered so far, informed Mandaviya.