Nearly 40 per cent of total eligible people received first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Gujarat, says govt

Ahmedabad, Jun 29 (PTI) Around 40 per cent of Gujarat's population above the age of 18 years eligible for COVID-19 vaccination has received the first dose so far, the state Health department said on Tuesday. In absolute numbers, 1.99 crore people of the total 4.93 crore eligible people have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in nearly two months, the department said.

"This comes to around 40 per cent of the total population qualified for vaccination," the department said in a release.

While 1.99 crore eligible people in Gujarat have received their first vaccination doses, 55.31 lakh others have also received their second dose so far, it said. With this, Gujarat has vaccinated 3,97,572 people per million population.

The department said a total of 2,53,93,866 doses of vaccines have been administered to beneficiaries in different groups so far.

As per the category-wise break-up of vaccinations in Gujarat, 19,62,800 healthcare and frontline workers, 1,07,83,095 people in the age group of over 45 years, and 71,16,687 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years have received their first dose of anti-COVID 19 vaccines so far, it said.

Also, 12,26,692 healthcare and frontline workers, 40,99,296 beneficiaries above 45 years, and 2,05,296 people in the age group of 18-44 years have received their second dose of vaccine, the department said.

The COVID-19 vaccination drive was rolled out in Gujarat along with other states on January 16 this year. From May 1, Gujarat launched the drive to vaccinate people in the age group of 18-44 years in phases before expanding it across the state.

Gujarat on Tuesday reported 93 new COVID-19 cases, the second straight day of under-100 daily count, taking the coronavirus tally to 8,23,433, while 326 patients recovered from the infection, the state health department said. PTI KA PD NSK NSK