New Delhi, India has achieved a milestone in its vaccination drive with the highest-ever single day figure of more than 36.7 lakh vaccination coverage recorded over the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

As on Day-76 of the vaccination drive, 36,71,242 vaccine doses were given.

Out of which, 33,65,597 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 51,215 sessions for the first dose and 3,05,645 beneficiaries received their second dose.

Cumulatively, more than 6,87,89,138 vaccine doses have been administered through 11,37,456 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 a.m. on Friday.

These include 83,06,269 healthcare workers (1st dose), 52,84,564 healthcare workers (2nd dose), 93,53,021 frontline workers (1st dose) and 40,97,634 frontline workers (2nd dose).

Vaccine has also been given to 97,83,615 beneficiaries (1st dose) and 39,401 beneficiaries (2nd dose) aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities and 3,17,05,893 (1st dose) and 2,18,741 (2nd dose) beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

Eight states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala accounted for 59.58 per cent of the cumulative doses given so far.

Maharashtra alone accounts for 9.48 per cent of the total doses given in India.

India kicked-off the third phase of its nationwide inoculation drive against the coronavirus on Thursday.

This vaccination phase comes at a time when the country is seeing a second wave. Daily infections had gone down in December and January. However, in the past three weeks the numbers have exploded -- with over 82,000 fresh cases reported in the past 24 hours.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 and vaccination of the frontline workers started from February 2.

The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specific comorbid conditions.

In a significant step to exponentially expand the countrywide vaccination drive, the Centre has decided to operationalize both public and private sector Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) on all days of month of April and even on Gazetted holidays.