PUNE: Over seven lakh beneficiaries in the district became eligible for their second dose of Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines by September 6.
According to a report from the district health office, around 6.46 lakh beneficiaries were now eligible for the second dose of Covishield, around 92,406 for Covaxin and 4,579 for Sputnik V. The cantonment areas, along with the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies, have 5.05 lakh beneficiaries due for their second dose of the designated vaccines.
The number of beneficiaries due for their second dose would increase by mid-September because the district had recorded a total vaccination of around 17 lakh in July. Most of the beneficiaries had got their first jabs then.
Sanjay Deshmukh, assistant director (medical), Pune circle, told TOI, “We shall be targeting the completion of the second dose of the beneficiaries at the earliest as we are receiving a good supply of vaccines. Instructions have been sent to reserve 70% doses for the second dose and 30% for the first.”
Sanjay Patil, the chairman of the Indian Medical Association (IMA)’s Hospital Board of India, said the health department should set the target of over 20-lakh vaccination per month to keep the balance between the first dose and the second dose beneficiaries. “The district is struggling with the consistency of the vaccine availability. If the administration can address the vaccine availability, the remaining eligible population of the district could be covered at the earliest,” he said.
Around 64.06 lakh beneficiaries received their first shots in the district, while 25.19 lakh got both the doses till September 10.
