Maharashtra Wants to Prioritise Beneficiaries of 2nd Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine, Says Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Mumbai, May 8: Flagging the issue of shortage of COVID vaccines to innoculate the beneficiaries of the age group of 18-44 years in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the second dose of vaccine is also pending for those of 45 years and above.

"We have less number of vaccines for the age group of 18-44 years. The second dose of vaccine is also pending for those of 45 years and above. We want to give priority to the second dose vaccination of those above 45 years of age," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told mediapersons. Maharashtra Reports Single Day Spike of 54,022 New COVID-19 Cases, 898 Deaths; Mumbai Registers 3,040 Cases, 71 Fatalities in Past 24 Hours.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that if the Centre does not provide the vaccine doses then the state will transfer the doses allotted for the age group of 18-44 years to that of 45 years and above.

"Almost 4 lakh people of 45 years and above are waiting for their second dose. There is no supply of Covaxin and if we do not get the supply, we have to transfer vaccines allotted to 18-44 years to 45 years and above age group," Tope told mediapersons.

Maharashtra reported 54,022 new COVID cases and 898 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the State health department. As many as 37,386 people recovered from the disease in the state in the said period.

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