PANAJI
Goa got a feather in its cap after it was rated as second among the States in India where 80 per cent of the eligible population received the second Covid vaccine dose.
As per the statistics released by the Central government, Sikkim topped the list with 92 per cent of its population being vaccinated with the second dose followed by Goa (80 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (65 per cent) and Gujarat (55 per cent). Andhra Pradesh and Kerala were also in the list released by the Centre.
Presently, around 9.3 lakh of the State’s population is fully vaccinated with both doses while the entire population is vaccinated with the first dose.
Incidentally, Goa government has set November 15 as the new deadline to fully vaccinate the eligible population of Goa.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Health has announced that another vaccination drive will be taken up across Goa from November 7 and Covid vaccination facility will be made available at all government health and sub-health centres.
Statistics released by the Centre also reveals that Lakshadweep is close to achieving full Covid-19 vaccination of its eligible population even as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 108 crore.
Around 78.7 per cent of India's adult population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, with nine states and union territories administering the first dose to all its 18-plus age group population, to Union health ministry officials.
All adults in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have received at least one dose of vaccine.
More than 36 per cent of the country's around 94 crore adult population has been administered both the doses, the officials said.
The States which have administered the highest number of doses are Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The ministry has also written to several States and union territories asking them to prioritise administering the second dose to beneficiaries who have not got themselves jabbed with the second shot even after the expiry of the prescribed interval between the two doses.
The government recently launched a month-long "Har Ghar Dastak" campaign for house-to-house Covid-19 vaccination of those who are yet to take a dose and those whose second dose is overdue.
