Over 3.86 cr people didn't get 2nd dose of jabs within stipulated time: Govt

New Delhi: Over 3.86 crore people did not get their second dose of anti-Covid vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — within the stipulated period of time, the government has said in response to an RTI query.

India has added 36,401 new COVID-19 infections, taking the total tally of cases to 3,23,22,258, while the death toll has climbed to 4,33,049 with 530 more fatalities, according to Union Health ministry data updated on Thursday.

The national recovery rate has improved to 97.52 per cent, the highest since March last year, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The ministry said that active cases have declined to 3,64,129, the lowest in 149 days, and comprise 1.13 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March last year.

According to information on the CoWIN portal, as of Thursday afternoon, 44,22,85,854 people have received their first dose, while 12,59,07,443 have also taken their second.

Activist Raman Sharma had filed a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking to know from the government the number of people who had received the first dose of vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — but did not take the second within the stipulated time period.

In response to the query, the COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Cell of the Union Health ministry said it is recommended the second dose of Covishield be taken within 84-112 days after the first, while in the case of Covaxin the gap should between 28 and 42 days.

"The total number of vaccinees (beneficiaries) who got their first dose of Covishield Vaccine but did not get their second dose within a stipulated period of time as prescribed by the Govt of India as per the Due Report of Co-WIN portal is 3,40,72,993 (data as on 17th August 2021)," the response said.

It further added that the total number of beneficiaries who got their first dose of Covaxin but did not get their second within the stipulated period of time as prescribed by the government as per the due report of in Co-WIN portal is 46,78,406 (data as on 17th August 2021).

"It is recommended that vaccinees who got their first dose of vaccine get their second dose in the stipulated period. There is no recommendation for such vaccinees who got their first dose of COVID Vaccine but did not get the second dose within the stipulated period as prescribed by Government of India to get their first dose again," it said.

In the Frequently Asked Questions sections on the website, the government recommends that "both doses of vaccine should be taken for realising the full benefit of vaccination".

It adds: "Both doses must be of the same vaccine type."

In a major achievement, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has on Thursday crossed the 50 crore-mark of Covid-19 sample testing.

As the apex research institute under the Health ministry is testing over 17 lakh samples daily, the ICMR has tested the last 10 crore tests in only 55 days. "On July 21, India had tested 45 crore Covid-19 samples, which reached the 50-crore mark on August 18," the ICMR said in its official release.

According to the ICMR website, 50,03,00,840 samples have been tested up to August 18 and 18,73,757 samples of Covid-19 were tested on Wednesday.