State public health minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday admitted that there is vaccine hesitancy in the state's Muslim-dominated areas and the government will take the help of actor Salman Khan to convince people.

He told The Free Press Journal, "I will be speaking to Salman Khan in a day or two.''

Maharashtra is leading in terms of the number of vaccine shots administered, but in some areas the pace of vaccination is low, Tope said.

"Religious leaders and film actors wield great influence and people listen to them," he added.

Over 10.25 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the state so far, and by the end of November all eligible persons will have received at least the first dose, the minister said. About the possibility of a third wave of the viral infection, Tope said as per the experts, the pandemic has a seven-month cycle, but due to large-scale vaccination, the next wave would not be severe. He insisted that people should follow the Covid-19 safety protocol and get vaccinated.

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