As many as 11,492 people over the age of 18 got their first dose of anti-coronavirus vaccination in 26 of 36 districts of Maharashtra on Saturday, the first day after it was opened up for all adults. The shots were administered in government facilities only.
According to the State Public Health Department, 132 vaccination sessions were arranged in 26 districts and 11,492 people were vaccinated till 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Maharashtra has purchased three lakh Covishield doses from Serum Institute of India which have been distributed across the State. Pune recorded the highest number of vaccination with 1,316 while Mumbai vaccinated 1,004 citizens. Gadchiroli and Yavatmal in Vidarbha recorded the lowest numbers at 83 and 90 respectively.
In Mumbai, mayor Kishori Pednekar and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant inaugurated the vaccination program at the jumbo Covid care centre at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Alnaj Chalrani, 32, a divyang, became the first person in the 18-45 age group in Mumbai to get vaccinated.
Ms. Pednekar said, “Mumbai had set aside five centres on May 1 which were open for only those who had received online confirmation. We are ready to undertake the inoculation process in three shifts if vaccines are made available to us.” She has also appealed to all those who will be getting vaccinated to donate blood before getting jabs to avoid shortage of blood in the next six months.
Besides BKC, vaccination centres were set up at Seven Hills Hospital, Andheri; Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle; Rajawadi in Ghatkopar, and Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central. They will be open on Sunday also.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra government on Saturday issued directions to treat West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh as places of sensitive origin considering the number of rising cases in these two States.
