Maharashtra to use 75-day window to target 2nd jab dodgers too

Mumbai: Could the enthusiasm around the booster dose campaign rub off on the stagnant second shot coverage in Maharashtra? The state and the districts are hopeful as they plan to push over 1.66 crore people to come and take their second shots.

The 75-day special booster drive has increased the daily average vaccination numbers by nearly three times to touch 2 lakh, giving the slacking drive a much-needed vigour, state officials said. Going by the initial response, the state government has sought one crore additional doses from the centre as districts believe the footfall would grow once the word spreads about the free availability of booster shots.

"The 75-day drive is a wholesome campaign meant for anyone who hasn't taken the first, second or third shots yet. The idea is to maximise vaccine coverage so that people are protected from severe Covid and hospitalisation," said Dr Nitin Ambadekar, acting director of health services, adding they are hoping to see a rise in second dose demand as well.

The state has delivered the first shot to 92% of its adult population. However, the second shot coverage has remained at 77.4%, with 1.35 crore skipping their Covishield dose and nearly 31 lakh missing their Covaxin shots.

As for Covishield, Pune has the highest defaulters at 12 lakh followed by Thane (9 lakh) and Mumbai 8.9 lakh). Dr Shivchandra Sangle, district health officer of Dhule, said that they are certainly trying to maximise the 75-day campaign by approaching even those who haven't taken second shots. "We are sending text messages, making calls and spreading the word in the community," he said, adding that Dhule is relatively better-performing regarding second dose coverage (67%).

However, not all districts are as hopeful. Dr Amol Gite, immunisation officer of Beed said they had gone to great lengths to convince people to take the second shot till a few months ago. "People tell us they are not scared of the virus anymore, so why get vaccinated," he said. Beed is among the state's poor performers.