Covid-19 vaccine estimate of 2 bn doses aspirational, optimistic: Govt

Inoculation drive is a marathon, not a 100-metre sprint, says health ministry

The two billion projection for vaccine doses by December 2021 by the government is an aspirational number and shared in an optimistic way based on the roadmap given by companies, said V K Paul, member-Niti Aayog, on Friday while addressing the issue of a lower estimate given to the Supreme Court of India. 

On May 13, the government had said that an estimate of 2.16 billion Covid vaccine doses would be available between August and December, 2021. However, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court last week, it said an estimated 1.35 billion doses would be available. 

“We need to understand the