Andhra to vaccinate 6 lakh daily during 'vaccination utsav'

Amaravati, April 9 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to vaccinate at least 6 lakh people a day during the 'vaccination utsav' between April 11-14.Reddy gave this direction after a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, which the latter held with chief ministers on the prevailing coronavirus situation.Reddy is aiming at vaccination for at least 24 lakh people during those four days and directed officials to arrange sufficient vaccine supplies by co-ordinating with the Centre."Focus on vaccination drive as the elections are over... be prepared in all possible ways to take up the drive successfully," said the chief minister.Before the PM's meeting also, he held a review meeting on the pandemic and reiterated that vaccination is the solution to prevent Coronavirus.He instructed officials to vaccinate vigourously with a target of providing 4 lakh doses in rural areas and two lakh doses in urban areas on a daily basis.The CM said all the people above 45 years of age have to be vaccinated in the next 30 days.Despite the mega vaccination plans, officials informed Reddy that only 1 lakh doses were available on Thursday, with a leftover stockpile sufficient for only two days of vaccination, even as 1 crore more people above 45 are yet to be inoculated.The chief minister advised officials to talk to the Central government to procure required supplies of the vaccine.He also directed them to conduct awareness programmes through Asha workers and volunteers to see that every eligible person is vaccinated.


--IANS sth/pgh