VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh set a new record by administering Covid-19 vaccine to 13.59 lakh beneficiaries on Sunday, surpassing its own record of giving 6.28 lakh jabs in a single day on April 14. By 10 pm on Sunday, the State had administered Covid vaccine to 13,59,300 beneficiaries, exceeding its set target of giving 10 lakh jabs.
With the administration of 13.59 lakh doses as part of the mega vaccination drive, the total Covid jabs given in the State increased to 1,36,75,909. In fact, the target of covering one million beneficiaries in a single day was achieved by 3.30 pm itself. The highest number of 1.92 lakh people were administered Covid vaccine between 11 am and 12 noon.
According to an estimate, the record number of 13.59 lakh doses of Covid vaccine administered in the state, accounted for more than 47 per cent of the total jabs given across the country on Sunday. Rajasthan stood second with a vaccination share of 12 per cent, followed by Gujarat with 7 per cent. The share of Telangana in the total Covid jabs given across the country, was just 4 per cent.
So far, 1.10 crore people in the state got the first dose and 27.29 lakh the second dose since the Covid-19 vaccination programme began on January 16.
During the mega vaccination drive, Covid vaccine was administered to priority groups in the 45 plus category, women with children aged below 5 years and those intending to go abroad. Prior to the drive, 56.63 percent of people aged above 45 years were vaccinated. As many as 5.63 lakh women with children below 5 years of age out of the total 18.55 lakh, were also given the first jab.
The vaccine doses were allotted to the districts as per the prevalence of Covid cases. According to senior officials in the Health Department, a total of 14 lakh doses of Covid vaccine were supplied to the districts. By the end of the day, the entire available vaccine stock was exhausted leaving nothing for further vaccination till the arrival of fresh stocks from the Centre.
Expressing happiness over achieving the unique feat, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal said the drive was organised on the directions of CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to cover the remaining population in the 45 plus age group. While other States are administering a maximum of three lakh doses per day, AP had set a new record by giving 13.59 lakh jabs, he said, adding that there was no wastage of Covid vaccine doses during the mega drive.
Covid Task Force chairman of the State K S Jawahar Reddy also said it was a remarkable achievement to vaccinate 1.3 million people in a day under the mega vaccination drive, reported PTI.
This showed that our medical team and other staff can take up over one million vaccinations in a day if the government at the Centre maintains the (vaccine) supply, Reddy said.
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The state reported 5,646 fresh COVID-19 cases from one lakh tests, while 7,772 people recovered and another 50 succumbed to the virus in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.
The gross positives have now mounted to 18,50,563 and the recoveries increased to 17,75,176, a health department bulletin said.
The cumulative toll was 12,319.
The active caseload in the state has now reduced to 63,068, the bulletin added.
East Godavari district added 1,098, Chittoor 890, West Godavari 761 and Krishna 441 new cases in 24 hours.
The remaining nine districts reported less than 400 new cases each, with Kurnool logging the lowest 127.
Chittoor reported 11 fresh COVID-19 fatalities, West Godavari seven, Guntur six, East Godavari five, Srikakulam four, Anantapuramu, Kadapa, Krishna and Prakasam three each, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam two each. SPS Nellore had one death in a day.
(With inputs from Online Desk, PTI)