Maharashtra among the bottom ten states with lowest vaccination rate

Some of the worst performing districts in the state include, Thane, Nashik, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Nanded and Solapur

PUNE Although districts like Pune, Mumbai and Thane have crossed or about to cross 100% partial vaccination among all beneficiaries, Maharashtra still is one of the ten states in the country that have a lower than National average vaccination rate of 86% first dose vaccination among beneficiaries and 53% fully vaccination rate among 18 plus. Some of the worst performing districts in the state include, Thane, Nashik, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Nanded and Solapur. However, metro cities like Pune, Mumbai and Kolhapur lag in second dose due beneficiaries.

Maharashtra still is one of the ten states in the country that have a lower than National average vaccination rate of 86% first dose vaccination among beneficiaries and 53% fully vaccination rate among 18 plus. (HT PHOTO)

Among the ten states that are at the bottom with coverage of both first and second dose less than the national average include; Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The central government has now asked the states to create awareness, mobilisation and vaccination of all eligible beneficiaries with first and second dose of the vaccine through house-to-house visits. Although adequate doses to vaccinate all eligible beneficiaries with both first and second dose aged above 18 years have been made available to all states, beneficiaries are not turning up at the vaccination centres, said officials.

During the Friday review meeting, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said, “Although Pune has achieved 100% first dose vaccination it is also true that Pune also has the highest number of second dose beneficiaries due. Using the CoWin database and the contact numbers of all beneficiaries the administration will follow up with them and call them individually to the vaccination centre to be fully vaccinated.”

One of the officials who attended the meeting said that Pawar is of the opinion that the admin must take stern steps in case people continue to refuse to take the second shot . “If people continue to avoid the second dose, then we might have to use a carrot and stick policy to bring people to the vaccination centres,” the official added.