The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Monday updaing about the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination said that rural coverage of vaccines has been remarkably emphasized. Revealing the data, Dr. VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog said that 63.7% of the total vaccine doses administered yesterday were in villages and 36% in urban areas.
Looking at the speed of vaccination in rural areas, Dr Paul said, "We are fully hopeful and confident that it's completely possible for us to cover rural areas." He said that more than half of the doses administered over the last few weeks were inoculated in rural areas, which makes it clear that rural outreach is possible.
Breaking the figures of vaccinated beneficiaries, Mr Paul said, "46% of the people who received the vaccine yesterday were women and 53% were men. We have to work on this imbalance, create awareness among women and bring them forward."
Meanwhile, the health ministry in a release said the Centre had ensured that the full supplies of COVID-19 vaccines under direct state procurement were provided to the states concerned before June 21.
The ministry issued a statement, saying certain media reports have alleged non-supply of free vaccines for the 18-44 priority age group to the Delhi government amid the ongoing free COVID-19 vaccination drive.
"It is clarified that the Government of India had ensured that full supplies of COVID-19 vaccines under the direct state procurement were provided to the concerned states before June 21," the statement said.
With effect from June 21, both the state government and Government of India supplies, irrespective of the type of supply, are to be used to vaccinate people above 18 years of age as all categories of priority groups are now unified and are to be provided vaccination for free at the state-designated government Covid vaccination centres (CVCs), the statement said.
