Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches vaccine anthem to mark one billion vaccination milestone

As India crossed the milestone of one billion COVID-19 vaccinations, praises poured from all over the country and beyond. Till date, about 75 percent of the country’s eligible adult population has been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 31 percent is fully vaccinated.To mark the momentous occasion, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched a song and an audio-visual short film at the Red Fort today. The 3.03 minute song by is sung by Kailash Kher and hails the achievements of the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.The 100 crore vaccination anthem harks back to this year’s Independence Day speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, taking his slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas”, for building a self-reliant country, as its main hook.The celebrations for the one billion vaccination mark also saw the largest khadi tricolour in India, which weighs about 1,400 kilograms, being displayed at the Red Fort.A vaccine anthem was released by Mansukh Mandaviya, Hardeep Singh Puri and Rameswar Teli earlier on 16 October. The song, also sung and produced by Kher, is titled Bharat Ka Tikakaran, and aims to combat vaccine hesitancy by encouraging people to get jabbed against the coronavirus.The 3.30 minute video featured Kher with a number of ordinary citizens who are shown getting inoculated. The Padmashri awardee appeals to people that the country can also be protected from the coronavirus pandemic through getting vaccinated.According to media reports, the milestone will also be marked by folk artists and handloom weavers in every state, with creations highlighting the one billion vaccinations mark. A five-day campaign “100 districts-100 different folk forms" will also be conducted in all states.Besides, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will light up 100 of its heritage monuments in colours of the national flag to mark the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination milestone achieved by the country.Only China and India have administered one billion coronavirus vaccine doses till date. Both countries are also the only countries with populations over one billion.