MUMBAI: Despite a low turnout for the Covid vaccination on Tuesday, Maharashtra became the first state in the country to complete four crore vaccination doses. “Maharashtra today again set a record in corona preventive vaccination and crossed the 4-crore mark. As many as 4,00,24,701 vaccines have been administered in the state so far,” said additional chief secretary (health) Dr Pradip Vyas.
The total number of citizens who took the first dose is 3,06,99,339, while 93,52,362 are fully vaccinated. “Around 1.2 lakh people were inoculated across the state till Tuesday afternoon and this number may increase till evening,” added Dr Vyas.
The state usually vaccinates three to four lakh people daily, but sources said the turnout was less than two lakh on Tuesday because of low availability of vaccines.
Even Mumbai, which saw 70,000-plus turnout on Monday, saw only 42,483 on Tuesday. While 14,262 took the free vaccines from BMC centres, 26,257 took the paid vaccine from private centres in the city.
However, state officials said that the vaccine drive would continue with the available stock. “We have asked districts with stocks to continue with the vaccination,” said state immunisation officer Dr D Patil.
Regarding Maharashtra’s low turnout for Covid vaccination, state director of health services Dr Archana Patil said, “We are giving vaccine as per supply received from the government of India.”
