India has administered more than 23.84 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, taking the vaccination count beyond 108.47 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry update on November 5.

On the 296th day of the nationwide vaccination drive, over 8.25 lakh people received their first shot and 15.58 lakh their second dose.

The vaccination drive accelerated over the last few weeks. It took the country 85 days to give the first 10 crore doses, the next 10 crore took 45 days and, in another 29 days, India touched the 30-crore mark.

By the following 24 days, the count reached 40 crore and crossed the 50-crore mark after 20 days on August 6. By September 13, 75 crore vaccine doses were given. The biggest jump, however, came on September 17, when more than 2.1 crore shots were given in one day.

On October 21, India scripted history with a cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassing the 100-crore milestone.

The government has revised the gap between the two doses for the Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), to 12-16 weeks. However, the interval for the second dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin remains unchanged at four weeks.

Prime Minister NarendraModi launched the nationwide vaccination drive on January 16, with healthcare workers at the frontline of India’s COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs. The next phase started on March 1 for people over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions. From April 1, the drive was expanded to include all aged 45 and above. The government decided to expand the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.