The government on 3 March 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 announcing that it has shown an interim efficacy of 81 percent in Phase 3 clinical trials.

For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.

Easing restrictions, all private hospitals were on 2 March allowed to give the coronavirus vaccines if they adhere to the laid down norms, while the 9 AM to 5 PM timing has also been done away with. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered since January 16 in the country crossed 1.63 crore on 3 March evening, the Union Health Ministry said. As many as 8,44,884 people who are more than 60 years old and 1,04,263 people aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities have received their first jab in the second phase of the exercise which began on March 1.

"The government has lifted the time restriction to increase the speed of vaccination. People can now get vaccinated 24x7 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 COVID-19 vaccine.

The President was administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at an army hospital in the national capital on 3 March. Several other prominent people including the Union Minister, the Kerala Chief Minister, the Goa Chief Minister, the Meghalaya Governor and the Sikkim Governor 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, have shown an interim vaccine efficacy of 81 percent 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 3 March.

In January, India's drugs regulator had approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and Covaxin for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for the massive inoculation drive. Some questions were raised on the approval to Covaxin as its phase three trial results were awaited, but the company and government authorities had discounted concerns. "Today is an important milestone in vaccine discovery, for science and our fight against coronavirus. With today's results from our phase 3 clinical trials, we have now reported data on our COVID-19 vaccine from Phase 1, 2, and 3 trials involving around 27,000 participants," Bharat Biotech Chairman & Managing Director Krishna Ella said.

On 1 March, the Prime Minister was administered Covaxin on the very first day of expansion of the inoculation drive to cover people aged 60 and above and those between 45-59 having co-morbidities. Covaxin has been developed on the WHO prequalified Vero cell platform which is globally recognized with a well-established track record of safety, the ICMR said. It said Covaxin's ability to neutralize the UK variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 has also recently been established. Covishield had shown an efficacy rate of 70 percent after two full doses. However, one of the regimens with a half dose and a full dose showed 90 percent efficacy against the virus. "The development and deployment of Covaxin ensures that India has a powerful weapon in its arsenal in a continually evolving pandemic situation and will go a long way in helping us win the war against COVID-19. "The need of the hour is to ensure that people in India continue to receive the vaccine and break the chain of virus transmission," said Dr Samiran Panda, Head, Epidemiology and Communicable Disease, ICMR and Director, National AIDS Research Institute.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated and vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2. The second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. A total of 1,63,14,485vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 3 March 7 PM, the ministry said. These include 67,75,619 HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 28,24,311 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 57,62,131 FLWs (1stdose), 3,277 FLWs (2nd dose), 8,44,884 beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 1,04,263 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities. "Total 6,92,889 vaccine doses were given on 3 March, the forty-seventh day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination. "Out of which 5,79,366 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 1,13,523 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report.," the ministry said adding final reports would be completed for the day by late night.

Those who received the first dose include 3,22,189 beneficiaries aged more than 60 and 32,364 individuals aged between 45 and 59 with specific co-morbidities. I took the jab to bolster people's trust in the vaccine," the Goa Chief Minister said. The 47-year-old politician is a trained medical doctor and comes under the category of health professionals. The Kerala Chief Minister urged people to take part in the drive without any hesitation and criticised those involved in spreading rumours and misinformation against taking the shot. "Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine was a good experience and there was no need to worry at all about it," he told reporters after taking the shot along with his wife.

Noting that a large number of people were coming forward to take the vaccine, Vijayan said vaccination has equipped mankind to prevent deadly diseases that had plagued the world at various stages. Diseases like Polio could be eradicated through vaccination. Still, some people were campaigning against the drive. "However, people have not accepted it. I am saying this to prevent people from falling prey to such propaganda," the chief minister added. Later, in a tweet, he said, "Took the first dose of COVID vaccine today. Vaccines provide immunity to diseases. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as and when it is available. Together, let us overcome this pandemic through scientific methods."

The Prime Minister, several union ministers and other prominent leaders and personalities are among those who have taken the COVID vaccine in the second phase.