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Only six states in India to commence COVID-19 vaccination for 18 plus from today

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TNN    01 May 2021

The nationwide drive to immunize the above 18 years was going to start on Saturday but only six states can start the immunization for the 18 to 44 age group. Other states and Union territories have either postponed the vaccination program for this age group by a few days or they are uncertain about starting itdue to vaccine shortage.

Even in these six states – Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Gujarat, the 1st May immunization drive will be a ‘token’ one. In these states, it will be limited to a few districts only.

Three lakh Covishield doses were distributed on Friday evening for the 1st May drive in Maharashtra, the worst affected COVID-19 state in India. Chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray had announced that everyone in the age group of 18-44 years will be immunized and the state will bear the cost. Mumbai, Thane and Pune each have got the largest portion of 20,000 doses whereas the other districts were given from 3,000 to 10,000 doses each.

Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra health minister said that they have planned to start immunizing this age group in a small part initially due to shortage of doses. The state requires around 12 crore doses for a population of 5.7 crore in this 18-44 age group. Both Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India have given in writing that they can provide 3.45 lakh and 13 lakh doses, respectively, to Maharashtra in May alone.

Uttar Pradesh, which is another worst affected state, will start the drive on 1st May in only seven of the total number of 75 districts. The drive will start only in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Varanasi, Meerut, Gorakhpur and Bareilly initially.

Rajasthan will start the vaccination in only 3 out of the 33 districts in Ajmer, Jaipur and Jodhpur and it was expecting three lakh vaccine doses by Friday.

Vijay Rupani, Gujarat CM had announced that immunization for this age group will start in 10 out of 33 districts who have the highest load of coronavirus cases. He said they were expecting 3 lakh vaccine doses on Friday night.

The Odisha government also announced the start of immunization from Saturday as it received a consignment of 1.5 lakh doses of Covaxin on Friday evening.

T S Singhdeo, Chhattisgarh health minister said the government will start the drive from 1st May, but they will give priority to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and Antyodaya cardholders. The state will receive 1.5 lakh doses of Covaxin by Saturday afternoon. 

All the other states have postponed the immunization drive due to uncertainty about the vaccine stocks. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam health minister confirmed on Twitter that the Centre committed to provide five lakh vaccine doses. But, considering the uncertainty about the arrival date of the first consignment of vaccines, it is not possible to start the drive on 1st May as scheduled earlier.

Telangana has stopped the immunization drive for two days (1st and 2nd May) at government centres for people aged 45 years and above also due to vaccine shortage. Tamil Nadu is also not sure to start the vaccination for 18 years and above at its government facilities, but few private hospitals such as Apollo said that they might start the drive.

Bengal will start the vaccination from 5th May while the immunization for the 45 and above age group will continue in government centres. It will be stopped in private centres as they are supposed to return the unused vaccine stocks by Friday-end to the state government.

The Karnataka government has indefinitely postponed the immunization drive for the 18-44 group citing shortage of vaccines.

Source: ET Healthworld

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