Mumbai: In a serious bid to vaccinate people above 45-years of age especially from Maharashtra's growth centres including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Thane, Aurangabad and Nagpur, which makes major contribution to the state gross domestic product, the state government has urged the Centre to provide additional 1.5 crore vaccines on an urgent basis.
The government proposes to complete the vaccination in these growth centres in three weeks. This is in addition to the government's demand for more vaccine supply to increase daily vaccination to 6 to 7 lakh people.
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte during video conference with Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has made a strong case for making available addition 1.3 crore vaccines to inoculate people above 45 years of age from including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Thane, Aurangabad and Nagpur. Kunte’s request came at a time when state’s daily cases are above 40,000 while active cases are expected to cross 4 lakh.
Kunte has hinted that with the vaccination of working class from these growth centres will help control the virus spread.
In a related development, with cumulative jabs to 70.27 lakh people, Maharashtra has topped the vaccination tally in India. After Maharashtra, Gujarat was with 65.78 lakh vaccination ranked second followed by Uttar Pradesh 64.28 lakh, Rajasthan 61.51 lakh, West Bengal 57.72 lakh, Karnataka 42.98 lakh, Madhya Pradesh 39.03 lakh and Kerala 37.20 lakh.
On April 2, a total of 3,28,195 people from 3,485 centres were vaccinated across Maharashtra. Of these, 2,98,552 received Covishield and 29,643 were administered Covaxin.
