E-Paper
Vaccination in 18-44 yrs yet to pick pace; 11 states, J&K have begun inoculating
The states that have begun vaccinating adults between the age group of 18 and 44 years are Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, UP, and the Union Territory of J&K
The Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination among young adults in the 18-44 years category has not really picked up in the country, with only about 700,000 individuals having received their first dose in five days across just 12 states, shows government data.
“671,285 beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years received their first dose of Covid vaccine across 12 states,” said Union health ministry in a statement.
The states that have begun vaccinating adults between the age group of 18 and 44 years are Chhattisgarh (1,026), Delhi (82,000), Gujarat (161,625), Jammu and Kashmir (10,885), Haryana (99,680), Karnataka (3,840), Maharashtra (111,621), Odisha (13,768), Punjab (908), Rajasthan (130,071), Tamil Nadu (4,577) and UP (51,284).
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Cumulatively, 1.6 million (160,494,188) vaccine doses have been administered through 2,366,349 sessions, as per the provisional government data released on Monday.
These include about 9.5 million (9,462,505) healthcare workers who have taken the first dose, and about 6.3 million (6,322,055) healthcare workers who have taken the second dose.
About 13.5 million (13,565,728) frontline workers have received their first vaccine dose, and nearly 7.3 million (7,332,999) have so far been fully vaccinated. About 12 million (12,385,466) elderly above 60 years of age are fully vaccinated in the country as it is the population group that is most at risk of developing severe form of Covid-19.
India began its nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16 this year. The first category to receive the jab was healthcare workers, and from February 2, government opened the service up for all frontline workers, too.
From March 1, the health ministry further expanded the vaccination services for age-appropriate population wherein all beneficiaries above 60 years of age, and those above 45 years but with specified comorbidities were eligible to take the shot.
The Centre further opened up Covid-19 vaccination coverage for everyone above 45 years irrespective of the comorbidities, as Covid-19 related death was higher in this population group. All vaccinations above the age of 45 years are fully funded by the Central government. On May 1, the government further expanded the coverage to include all adults.
