New Delhi : Setting a record on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, India administered more than 2 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses on Friday, the Union Health Ministry data said. According to data shared on the Co-WIN portal, the total number of shots administered on Friday till 7.40 pm,  making this the highest single day vaccination tally so far.

Taking to Twitter, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said (in Hindi): “A gift to the Prime minister on behalf of health workers and people of the country. On the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, India has crossed the historic figure of administering 2 crore vaccine doses in a day, setting a new record. Well done India!”

According to the Ministry on Friday as part of the ‘Vaccine Seva’ campaign, the Health Minister visited Safdarjung Hospital to take stock of the ongoing vaccination and congratulated the healthcare workers for helping the country cross the two crore benchmark.

Meanwhile, sources in the Health Ministry on Friday said that for India “vaccinating it’s citizens is a priority and export of vaccines will be discussed only after the country’s requirement is over.”

A senior government official explained that the the Ministry is in on-going talks with foreign vaccine manufacturers — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson — on the indemnity issue to bring in more vaccines into the Indian market.

“We are getting different types of demands from the manufacturers at different times which is one of the reasons why indemnity hasn’t been granted to Pfizer and Moderna so far and thus resulting in delay in arrival of foreign made vaccines in India,” he added.

The Ministry has also maintained that India will get about 20 crore doses of Covishield and 3.5 crore doses of Covaxin which will be supplied to stakeholders in this month.