Over 1.7 crore people in state yet to take 2nd dose: Data

Pune: Maharashtra's high vaccine pendency is causing considerable worry among public health experts.

According to data available till March 23, more than 1.42 crore people who received Covishield and over 34 lakh people who were given Covaxin are now well past the due date for their second dose. Essentially, the state has over 1.7 crore people who are partially vaccinated against Covid-19.

Experts said with the state government lifting all curbs — mask mandates were lifted on April 2 — health authorities will now have to increase efforts to ensure the Covid vaccine drives do not slow down.

“This problem (vaccine pendency) needs to be addressed while we have ample time,” said Dr Sanjay Patil, chairperson of the IMA’s Hospital Board of India.

“Covid cases are at their lowest so, we need to do everything we can to protect these people,” he said.

Dr Patil said across the state medical practitioners are now asking patients about their Covid vaccination status, to ensure they complete the schedule. He added that coverage will likely stall if adequate measures are not taken.

Dr Sanjay Oak, chief of the state’s Covid task force, said vaccination cannot be made mandatory. He said, “The task force has always been very clear — we cannot make Covid vaccination a compulsion. It is ‘desirable and advisable’ to get the jabs and both these adjectives are key. It is desired that every person is protected. And one dose is not good enough.”

State officials said last month that wide variationswere seen in vaccine coverage in rural and urban areas. Mumbai, for instance, has given both doses to 99.6% of its adult population, Nandurbar has given it to only 50%.