Vaccination drive suspended in Maha till Monday due to Co-Win app glitches

The Maharashtra government onSaturday evening announced suspension of the COVID-19vaccination drive in the state till Monday owing to problemsin the Co-Win app.The app has been created by the Centre for managingregistration for the inoculation. A nationwide inoculationdrive for coronavirus began on Saturday morning.Not just in Maharashtra, everywhere in the countrythis app created problems in the execution of vaccinationdrive.

The Maharashtra government onSaturday evening announced suspension of the COVID-19vaccination drive in the state till Monday owing to problemsin the Co-Win app.

The app has been created by the Centre for managingregistration for the inoculation. A nationwide inoculationdrive for coronavirus began on Saturday morning.

''Not just in Maharashtra, everywhere in the countrythis app created problems in the execution of vaccinationdrive. We have decided to suspend the vaccination for the nexttwo days,'' state public health minister Rajesh Tope told PTI.

''On January 8, when a dry run was conducted, and againtoday I specifically pointed out problems with the Co-Win appand Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said he will look into it,''the minister said.

Earlier in the day, a senior health departmentofficial in Maharashtra said that owing to problems in theApp, text messages were not sent to many persons who weresupposed to get the vaccine shot on Saturday.

''The state government had planned inoculation of28,500 healthworkers on the first day but the problems inCo-WIN, which were noticed on late Friday night, could not befixed till Saturday evening,'' the official said.

As many as 18,425 beneficiaries, or 65 per cent of thetarget for the first day, were given the shot across the stateon Saturday, he said.

''We could not use it to generate SMSes to intimatehealthworkers that they should come to the inoculation centreto receive the jab. In the absence of SMS, the health workercannot come to the centre for inoculation,'' he said.

Out of 36 districts, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburbandistricts reported lowest 47 and 49 per cent inoculation ofthe target, the data showed.

Hingoli district recorded 100 per cent vaccinationas all 200 healthworkers who were supposed to be inoculated onthe first day received the jab, officials said.