PUNE: Maharashtra is slightly behind Covid vaccination leader Uttar Pradesh in doses administered so far — 3.8 crore vs 3.9 crore — but its second-dose coverage is the highest. However, six months into the vaccination programme, only 10% of Maharashtra’s target population has been fully inoculated and the slow pace has got experts worried.
In fact, lakhs of Maharashtra’s healthcare workers (HCWs) — first in line when the vaccination programme began on January 16 — are still in the process of getting their shots. While 8.72 lakh HCWs have received both doses, 12.83 lakh of them have got just the first shot.
In the general category, 1.72 crore people aged over 45 in the staet have been given their first jab. Only 61.02 lakh have received both doses.
Public health experts said the state, and country, are now racing against time to prevent a major health crisis. Swift vaccination has emerged the only way out.
“It’s now clear people are not following Covid-appropriate behaviour, even to protect themselves. The only possible intervention for the government is vaccination. The Centre has been promising adequate doses; it should keep its word. Unless we vaccinate 70% of the population at the earliest, we are heading for a major public health challenge,” state task force member Dr Subhash Salunke said.
State immunization officer Dr D N Patil said they are prepared to administer 10 lakh doses a day, but the Centre needs to release such a volume. “We have done over eight lakh vaccinations daily and are ready to do so again. The Centre needs to release an adequate number of doses for Maharashtra. The stock we’re receiving now gets over within a day or two,” he said.
The districts of Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur and Nashik are administering the highest number of doses. But the coverage is way lower in Wardha, Washim, Gadchiroli, Hingoli and Sindhudurg.
In ten districts in the state — Jalna, Parbhani, Ratnagiri, Nandurbar, Wardha, Washim, Osmanabad, Sindhudurg, Gadchiroli and Hingoli — less than one lakh people have received both doses.
Patil ruled out variations in vaccine distribution or hesitancy in some regions. He said the state is determined to vaccinate everyone.
Data shows that in Mumbai, as many as 50.03 lakh people have received their first dose and 14.33 lakh have been given both. The figures are 41.83 lakh (first dose) and 11.92 lakh (both doses) in Pune district; 23.1 lakh and 6.5 lakh in Thane; 15.05 lakh and 4.81 lakh in Nagpur; and, 12.56 lakh and 3.56 lakh in Nashik.
Salunke said districts with low vaccine coverage will have to speed things up. “These districts need to adopt all possible public outreach programmes and increase the number of vaccination centres to achieve the target of inoculating 70% of their population, for herd immunity,” he said.
