Maharashtra temporarily suspends COVID vaccination for 18-44 age group due to shortage of vaccines
The doses purchased for this age group will be utilised to administer the second dose to the beneficiaries who are over 45 years old.
The Maharashtra Government has temporarily suspended the vaccination drive for people in the 18 to 44 age group due to shortage of vaccines.
The doses purchased for this age group will be utilised to administer the second dose to the beneficiaries who are over 45 years old.
The state health minister Rajesh Tope has said that due to the shortage of the vaccines only the second dose of the vaccine will be administered from today onwards.
He added that the decision on restarting the drive can be taken after the 20th of May when the state is likely to receive a huge tranche of Covishield vaccines.
According to him, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi explaining the overall vaccination issues being faced by the state.
According to the state health department, Maharashtra has administered a total One crore 88 lakh 21 thousand 485 doses till May 11, 2021.
It consists of 1 crore 19 lakh 987 beneficiaries of more than 45 years of age who received their first dose and 23 lakh 17 thousand 407 beneficiaries who received the second dose.
11 lakh 34 thousand 142 health workers have received their first dose and 6 lakh 80 thousand 681 health workers have received the second dose. 15 lakh 35 thousand 467 front line workers have received their first dose while 6 lakh 56 thousand 710 have received the second dose.
5 lakh 96 thousand 91 beneficiaries of the new age group of 18 to 44 years have received the first dose since the launching of the third phase from May 1st 2021.
State Health Minister Rajesh Tope informed that the government currently has a stock of seven lakh Covishield and three lakh Covaxin doses and hence the priority is to provide these jabs to those beneficiaries awaiting second dose.