Maha gets 9.83 lakh vaccine doses against 17.5 lakh: Tope

Maharashtra goverment has so farreceived 9.83 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines out of the totalrequirement of 17.5 lakh for inoculation in the first phase,state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.

The state has received only 9.63 vials of Covishieldvaccine from the Serum Institute of India and merely 20,000vials from the Bharat Biotech of its indigenously-madevaccine, Tope told reporters.

''We have to give the doses twice to a person in a gapof four weeks, hence 55 per cent of the around eight lakhregistered health workers will undergo vaccination as of now,''he said.

''The need of vials for Maharashtra is 17.50 lakh forthe first phase. We need slightly more vials because 10 percent wastage is expected. But, we have received 9.63 lakhvials from the Serum Institute of India,'' he said.

Besides, the state has received 20,000 vials of theBharat Biotech's Covaxin, he said.

Tope also informed that the Centre has asked the stateto reduce the number of inoculation centers from 511 to 350,saying the government should focus on other emergencies also.

''If we go ahead with 350 centres and 100 people areinoculated at each centre, the state will be able to vaccinate35,000 health workers on the first day of the vaccination onJanuary 16,'' he said.

Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 2,936 new COVID-19cases, taking the tally of infections to 19,74,488.

The cumulative COVID-19 death toll in the state hasreached 50,151, as per official figures.