While the images of Rohit Monseratte, son of Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte gone viral on social media taking a vaccine jab, the CM of Goa said that the Vaccine to the 18 years and above will be given once they get the doses, although he failed to explain the special treatment to the son of Taleigao Heavyweight Mr. Babush Monseratte.
The youth in the age group of 18 plus are eagerly waiting for their turn to take the vaccine in the state and many of them have already registered themselves online for the same. But due to the absence of the doses, which are yet to be received by the state government, the process has been kept on hold.
According to the reports, Goa will start inoculating people in the age group of 18-44 when the Covid-19 vaccines arrive in the state, said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday. “Vaccination for the 18-45 age group will progress as and when we receive the doses,” said Sawant adding that the Goa government has placed an order of five lakh doses with the Serum Institute of India, maker of Covishield vaccine.
The Union government earlier this month extended the vaccination drive to cover the entire adult population starting on 1 May. However, several states are facing a supply crunch. The Centre liberalized vaccination roll-out on demand by state governments for more freedom in choosing vaccines and planning, Sawant said.
“Now it’s the duty of our state to procure vaccine and plan successful inoculation. Both these will happen in stages,” he added. For the ongoing vaccination drive covering healthcare workers, frontline workers, and those above 45, Goa has received over 4.3 lakh doses so far, the chief minister said.
“We have administered the first dose to over 2.5 lakh people and the second one to over 68,000. We have over 1.1 lakh doses available with us for further vaccination,” he added. Prior to Goa, Madhya Pradesh had said that vaccinations of everybody above 18 years of age will not start on 1 May as the manufacturers can not supply enough vaccine doses in time.
“On contacting the manufacturers of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines we learned that they are unable to give us doses for those above 18 years of age on 1 May,” said MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “Hopefully we will be getting vaccine doses around May 3. After that we will give the final shape to the drive for the young people,” he added.
