Is India beginning to see a COVID-19 vaccine effect? In three southern states and two major cities for which data is available, the share of the elderly in total deaths has begun to decline after vaccination began for this demographic, an IndiaSpend analysis of data and interviews with experts show. The decline in share is not necessarily because cases and deaths among younger people have increased.
India began vaccinating healthcare and frontline workers on 16 January 2021; people over the age of 60 (and those over 45 years, with comorbidities) from 1 March; people between the ages of 45 and 59 from 1 April; and people between the ages of 18 and 44 from 1 May. As of 3:30 pm on 12 May, India has injected 137.3 million people with one dose of either Covishield or Covaxin, and a further 37.8 million people with both doses. Among those aged 60 and above, nearly 39 percent have received at least one dose of a vaccine and just under 12 percent have received both doses by 11 May.