India fights Covid: Worst-hit Maharashtra has administered most number of vaccines so far

Mumbai - As many as 12.65 million people in the state have been vaccinated to date.

Even as the Covid crisis worsens in Maharashtra, raising the toll — both in terms of deaths and infections — the state retains the top spot in India in terms of the highest number of vaccinations done so far.

A government spokesperson revealed that 12.65 million people in the state have been vaccinated, accounting for nearly a tenth of the 127.13 million across the country.

Health secretary Dr Pradeep Vyas said that, fortunately, the state — unlike many others in India — also has an adequate number of doses adding up to 475,000.

Both Mumbai and Pune, the worst-affected cities in India in the Covid crisis, have the highest number of people who have gotten vaccinated. In Mumbai, more than two million citizens have got vaccinated and, in nearby Thane, more than 950,000; Pune has seen 1.81 million people take the jab.

Other states with a significant number of people having undergone Covid vaccinations include Rajasthan (11.1 million people), Uttar Pradesh (10.9 million) and Gujarat (10.6 million).

About two-thirds of Maharashtra’s population is above 18 and, with the third phase of vaccination beginning May 1 including all above that age, the state has set a target to immunise 85 million people, which would need a whopping 170 million doses of the vaccine.

The state cabinet on Tuesday decided to seek central clearance to import Covid-19 vaccines directly from the international market.

The state government expects the entire population to be vaccinated over the next nine months, with nearly 350,000 people getting the jab daily.

• India