Mandaviya to meet Health Ministers of States/UTs tomorrow over ramping up of vaccine administration: Govt Sources

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], October 26 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting with Health Ministers of states and union territories on Wednesday regarding ramping up of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country, said government sources on Tuesday.
The Union Health Minister will also discuss with the Health Ministers about PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission during the meet.
Meanwhile, the Centre today urged the states and union territories to focus on beneficiaries who are waiting for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine after their interval period gets over.
Mandaviya in tomorrow's meeting will also discuss the delay in administering the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Sources told ANI that the country has in stock 11 Crore Covid-19 vaccine doses of Covishield and Covaxin. But more than 10 crore people still haven't taken their second dose, said sources.
The states and union territories have been urged to improve the momentum of vaccination and accelerate its coverage as the country moves forward to vaccinate with the target to vaccinate the eligible population by end of the year.
India has covered 76 per cent of the eligible population for the first dose.
"So far, 71.24 crore first doses, covering 76 per cent of the eligible population, and 30.06 crore second doses, covering 32 per cent of the eligible population, have been administered the Covid vaccines," said the health ministry earlier in a statement.