The government on Wednesday, March 3,  said it has permitted round-the-clock COVID-19 vaccination as part of efforts to speed-up the immunisation drive which received a fresh boost with the makers of the indigenous Covaxin saying it has shown an interim efficacy of 81 per cent in Phase 3 clinical trials. Easing restrictions, all private hospitals were on Tuesday allowed to give the vaccines if they adhere to the laid down norms, while the 9 am to 5 pm timing was also done away with. More than 1.56 crore (1,56,20,749) vaccine doses have been administered in the country through 3,12,188 sessions since January 16, according to a provisional report till Wednesday 7 am.

“The government has lifted the time restriction to increase the speed of vaccination. People can now get vaccinated 24×7 according to their convenience. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the value of health as well as the time of citizens,” Health Minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted in Hindi, a day after he got his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

President Ram Nath Kovind was administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at an army hospital in the national capital on Wednesday.

Several other prominent people including Union Minister Hardeep Puri, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik and Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad also received their first jabs.

The Indian Council of Medical Research, the country’s apex research body, and Bharat Biotech announced that phase 3 results of Covaxin, developed by them, has shown an interim vaccine efficacy of 81 per cent in preventing COVID-19, and dubbed it as an important milestone in vaccine discovery.

“The bench-to-bedside journey of completely indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in less than eight months’ time showcases the immense strength of Atmanirbhar Bharat [self-reliant India] to fight the odds and stand tall in the global public health community.

“It is also a testament to India’s emergence as a global vaccine superpower,” said Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR, said on Wednesday.