India Witnesses 12 Million Registrations For Covid Vaccine As Drive Opens For Above 18

As India battles to provide its citizens with adequate medical infrastructure and oxygen supply in hospitals, the registration portal for the Covid-19 vaccination that has been opened for anyone who is aged 18 and above has 12 million registrations already.

CoWIN, India's Covid-19 vaccine registration site, has been restored after it crashed minutes after it was released for those aged 18 to 45 on Wednesday to get their jab. On the first day, nearly 8 million people registered for vaccinations, and it swiftly climbed up to 12 million people, Times of India reported

On Wednesday, minutes after registration began at 4 pm IST, the portal crashed. On the government Aarogya Setu App, glitches were also identified. Later, both sites were restored, allowing those who were eligible to register for the life-saving vaccine, amid the nationwide crisis of poor medical infrastructure that has accounted for thousands of deaths.

RS Sharma, the CEO of the National Health Authority, told media outlets on Wednesday, "We've had about 5 million people register in a single day on many occasions.

India is currently grappling a public health emergency. Images of Covid funerals in crammed cemeteries, wailing families outside hospitals, long queues of ambulances carrying gasping patients, mortuaries filled with the deceased, and patients, in-hospital corridors, and lobbies abound on social media. There are frantic requests for assistance with beds, medication, and even oxygen, BBC reported.

But, there is another problem looming over Indian cities, as an additional 600 million Indians will be able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from May 1. At that time, at least 40 million people will be eligible for their second dose, and that number will continue to grow with each passing day, eventually reaching over 65 million by the end of May, Business Insider noted. Those that need a second dose will have to begin the cyclical process if the vaccine is not delivered within the 12-week deadline, making the first jab redundant.

India’s spread of the virus is at its peak, the peak being redefined every day. The lack of oxygen cylinders and beds in hospitals and other medical equipment like ventilators has garnered attention globally, with countries lending a helping hand.

According to a spokesperson for the UN chief, the UN team in India is assisting India's authorities in responding to the pandemic by providing crucial supplies and its agencies are procuring thousands of oxygen concentrators, oxygen-producing plants, and other vital equipment, as well as assisting in the establishment of mobile hospital units, The Indian Express reported.

Among many who have voiced their concern for the country, global star Priyanka Chopra-Jonas has also urged her followers on Instagram to help India, through her fundraiser. She spoke about the gruesome situation in a video, “… we need to care – because unless everyone is safe, no one is safe."