Health Minister T. Harish Rao has instructed officials to expedite the ongoing drive to vaccinate maximum people against COVID-19 and complete the second dose.
In a review meeting held with health officials here at MCR HRD Institute on Monday, Mr. Harish Rao said there was a need to speed up the vaccination process in view of the rising COVID-19 cases across the globe.
Stating that arrangements are being made to vaccinate the youth aged between 15 and 18 years and give booster doses to those above 60 years, the Minister said about 70 lakh doses are required.
“While the national average for first-dose vaccination is 90%, Telangana has clocked 99.46%. Similarly, for the second dose, we are at 64% whereas the national average is 61%,” said Mr. Harish Rao, adding that every individual has to take both doses without fail in view of the prevailing conditions.
The State has about 22.78 lakh persons aged between 15 and 18 years, 41.6 lakh above 60 years and 6.34 lakh frontline and healthcare workers, he said, adding, “To vaccinate all of them, 70 lakh doses are needed.”
He has directed the officials concerned to make arrangements for administering vaccine to the youth from January 3 and to senior citizens from January 10.
Health Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, TSMIDC chairman Errolla Srinivas, CM OSD Gangadhar, Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy participated in the meeting.
