K'taka aims 2nd dose for 70 pc eligible people by Dec-end: CM Basavaraj Bommai

The Centre has assured it will supply more COVID-19 vaccine to Karnataka as the state targets to inoculate 70 per cent of its eligible population with the second dose by December-end, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday after meeting Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya here.The Union minister in the meeting said he was happy with the vaccination drive undertaken by the state, which has achieved 1.48 crore doses of vaccination last month, he told reporters.The minister assured us that he will give more vaccines if required.

The Centre has assured it will supply more COVID-19 vaccines to Karnataka as the state targets to inoculate 70 percent of its eligible population with the second dose by December-end, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday after meeting Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya here.

The Union minister in the meeting said he was happy with the vaccination drive undertaken by the state, which has achieved 1.48 crore doses of vaccination last month, he told reporters.

''The minister assured us that he will give more (vaccines) if required. We have a stock of 51 lakh doses and a special drive is being undertaken. We are focusing on giving the second dose to people,'' Bommai said.

So far, the state government has administered the first dose to 81 percent of the eligible population, while the second dose has been given to 37 percent of the eligible population of the state, he said.

''By the end of December, Karnataka's target is to provide the first dose to 90 percent (of the eligible population) and second dose to 70 percent of the eligible population. The Union minister has assured full support for this drive,'' the chief minister said.

Bommai informed that the Union minister is scheduled to visit Bengaluru to attend the convocation program of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Science on October 15 and also review health infrastructure in the state.

State Health Minister K Sudhakar and Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar were present at the meeting.

Bommai plans to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP National President J P Nadda later during the day.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)