Amaravati: All set for Big vaccination drive today

Amaravati: The state is all set to carry out a huge vaccination drive on Sunday, June 20, targetting about eight to 10 lakh people a day.

Though officially no target has been announced, the top health authorities told all 13 district collectors that the objective is to vaccinate 8-10 lakh people in a day.

"We have already showcased our capacity to vaccinate more than six lakh persons in a day. This time we are aiming to inoculate more people," principal secretary (health) Anil Kumar Singhal said on Saturday.

Already, 14 lakh doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been dispatched to all districts for the special drive.

So far, over 1.25 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine (both Covaxin and Covishield) have been administered in the state.

While 98.5 lakh people got the first dose, another 26.5 lakh completed the second dose as well, government data showed.

Persons over the age of 45 years and mothers with children below the age of five years are the main focus groups during the Big Vaccine Sunday, according to Anil. Over two lakh people each have to get the second dose of Covaxin and Covishield this month.

More than 12.7 lakh mothers with children under five years also have to get the coronavirus vaccine jab.

Over 40 per cent of the 1.33 crore persons over 45 years of age have not yet taken even the first dose.

At least 15 per cent each of healthcare workers and frontline workers too have remained uncovered so far.

The government is now targetting to inoculate the maximum number of people in these groups during the special drive.