Dear Editor,

I WRITE to commend, compliment, extol, and congratulate the government of India on reaching the record milestone of administering over one billion vaccines on Thursday, October 21. When one speaks of such a number of vaccinations prior to now, one was thinking of polio, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, etc. against which billions were “vaccinated” (administered the drop or the needle). And that was decades ago and certainly not for any one country but globally. No one in recent times ever thought of or could have imagined a billion vaccines administered in one country, but India achieved the milestone when just six months ago it was considered impossible. India has administered more vaccines than almost the entire globe combined.

In terms of COVID-related stats, India conducted 600 million COVID-19 tests of its 1.4 billion people and found 34,128,098 infections. There were 453,000 deaths or just about a quarter of one per cent of the population. Some 98.5 per cent of those infected have recovered from COVID-19. There are over 300 million fully-vaccinated people in India or 37 per cent of the population; 75 per cent of adults got at least one jab and some half of all adults are fully vaccinated.

The Indian stats contrasts sharply the US that leads the world in testing at 660 million; recording 45.2 million infections; administering 732 million vaccines (less than half of India’s); and 190 million or 58 per cent of population fully vaccinated. In contrast with China, where the virus emerged and the world’s most populous country at 1.5B, China administered 223 million doses with 100 million fully vaccinated. China claims it administered 16 million tests and found 100 thousand infections with 4700 deaths.  Medical scholars consider the data suspect because of secrecy of governance.

In India, the government celebrates the achievement. A 225-foot national flag is being flown in the country’s Red Fort marking the occasion. The Prime Minister, President, and other politicians have issued glorifying statements. Leaders of many countries sent congratulatory messages to the Indian government leadership.

The one billion mark of vaccination is a magnificent feat. It may take years, if not decades, for another country, nay an entire content, to attain that feat. India had a late start in vaccination roll out. And while it was vaccinating its people, India was also making vaccines available to several other countries including Guyana and CARICOM nations. India provided some 70 countries with vaccines including developed and European nations. The developed countries kept their vaccines for themselves and only recently started making some (surplus) available to poor or developing countries. India was criticised by the developed countries and even by prominent Guyanese and the media for its handling of COVID-19 in March and April when the country was devastated by the pandemic. Since then, the Prime Minister took charge of COVID-19 vaccination from the 28 states and several territories. Vaccination in India, as well as testing for COVID-19, as it is in the US and UK and several other countries, is free. Many countries charge for COVID-19 testing.

The country is celebrating “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” – freedom festival as a result of nectar from COVID-19 vaccines.

The achievement of administering one billion vaccines is indeed a feat to be celebrated. I also wish to thank India for providing Guyana with hundreds of thousands of vaccines that help to protect our people.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram