Fewer than 3% of adults till 45 years fully vaccinated

The city’s young workforce will be at a disadvantage when local trains resume operations for the fully vaccinated from August 15 as fewer than 3% have got both their doses. Although vaccination for the 18-44 year olds was allowed nationally from May 1, a series of policy flip-flops meant vaccine availability was a problem.

- Sumitra Deb Roy

CM Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday the city had 19 lakh fully vaccinated people (see box) while announcing the decision on local trains. People from the 18-44 age group that is going to be the most mobile account for only 2.6% of the fully vaccinated.

Immunisation for this group was mired in controversy from the start. The Centre, while opening vaccination for them from May 1, had put the onus of buying vaccines on the states. States, which were getting supplies from the Centre until then, went into a scramble to procure doses from manufacturers. Maharashtra could only manage a few lakh doses that lasted less than two weeks.