Uttar Pradesh emerges leader, vaccinates 30 lakh in 18-44 age category

Uttar Pradesh has crossed the milestone of administering 2 crore cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses. In another landmark victory against COVID-19, the State has emerged as a leader by crossing the 30-lakh mark in the 18-44 age category, the highest in the country.

This spectacular boost in the vaccination figures has been attributed to the launch of CM Yogi’s ‘Mission June’ initiative. Enthused by the response, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the state must vaccinate with a greater degree to prevent a severe third wave and start targeting at least 10 lakh doses a day from July onwards. The target is to administer at least 10 crore people in the next three months.

“Till now we have administered more than 2 crores (2,02,34,598) doses of vaccine against the coronavirus. In view of the huge population of Uttar Pradesh, we have to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination. We must now work upon expanding the Mission June target by three times in July”, said CM Yogi while addressing a high-level COVID review meeting. So far, around 1,66,27,059 people have received the first dose, while the remaining 36,27,433 have completed their double-vaccination course.

It is notable that so far India has administered around 22.80 crore vaccine doses, of which UP accounts for around 8.9 per cent of the total doses. In the last 24-hours, UP has jabbed around 3.88 lakh people. The figures are increasing every day under CM Yogi’s effective and aggressive strategy of Mission June to inoculate One crore people in thirty days.

Uttar Pradesh has earned distinction at the vaccination front and become a leading state of India by administrating jabs to more than 31.24 lakh (31,24,260) beneficiaries in the 18-44 age category to date, under its massive inoculation drive being carried out aggressively against the deadly disease.

Emphasising that only a massive Covid vaccination programme on a war footing can help to stop the third wave of the pandemic, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the officials that the vaccination capacity in the state must be increased by three times and take it to 10 lakh doses per day in July.

While speaking at the daily COVID-19 evaluation meet, CM instructed, “ A District-wise strategy should be prepared to meet the target of 10 lakh doses a day in July. There is no shortage of vaccine. With the courtesy of the Central government, many new vaccines will be available soon”.

CM Yogi has also asked the officials that to reach the July target, more than 100,000 healthcare professionals (as inoculators) would be required to vaccinate the entire adult population. “About one lakh additional vaccinators should be trained including the nursing students amongst others for the new target” asserted CM.

In a bid to encourage women for taking the vaccine jabs, the ‘Special Pink Booths’ (Women Vaccination Camps) will start operating in all the 75 districts of the state from Monday. Uttar Pradesh government has directed the districts to initiate at least two women special booths for focused immunity-booster drives.

Around 150 ‘special pink booths’ in total are being set up in all districts— one for the 18+ category and one for the 45+ women will be set up in each district. The government has given instructions to set up these camps are in District Women Hospitals or District Joint Hospital. Similarly, as per need, such camps will be set up in Tehsils as well.