Bengaluru: Age is just a number, isn’t it? Believed to be India’s oldest voter, Shyam Saran Negi, at 103 years of age, took his vaccine jab in Himachal Pradesh. 

"I am appealing to all those who are eligible to get themselves vaccinated to fight the coronavirus," he appealed to his countrymen. 

A host of officials accorded him a massive welcome as he arrived at the venue along with his family members. 

He was also kept at the venue for ½ hour as per protocol to check if he had suffered any side-effects.

Meanwhile, till last week, India had supplied 464.29 lakh made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines to 47 countries. Out of these doses, 71.25 lakh were supplied as a gift and 393.04 lakh were supplied commercially.

Quite naturally, several tall leaders across the globe have thanked India profusely for its magnanimity in providing vaccines.

WHO chief Dr Tedros too had hailed India’s contribution.

He had tweeted, “Thanks 🇮🇳 & Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example”.

India has also sent vaccines to far-off countries in the Caribbean. The Prime Minister of St Lucia had thanked Modi as well.

He had said, “Thank you to Prime Minister @narendramodi and our friends from India for donating 25,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine to Saint Lucia🇱🇨🇮🇳”.

India, in the true sense, has been the vaccine pharmacy of the world. Though there were some doubts earlier whether India would export vaccines at the cost of its domestic demands, it did send vaccines to other countries.

It is to be noted that India produces 60% of the world’s vaccines and countries wait with bated breath to receive it.

Serum Institute of India Ltd. and Bharat Biotech International Ltd are the ones supplying the vaccines.

India has approved Covishield and Covaxin for emergency use.