Noida: Uttar Pradesh has commenced the Covid vaccination drive for 18+ age group today and the vaccination centres also witnessed long queues of adults.
While the much-awaited vaccination drive has started, there were reports suggesting that the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to vaccinate only those who are residents of the state. Reports stated that the 18+ age group needed a permanent resident proof of Uttar Pradesh to get vaccinated.
However, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh refuted all claims regarding such reports and said that there has been no such decision taken by the Yogi government.
Jai Pratap Singh spoke to ABP News and said, "Registration for vaccination is being conducted only and there is no such guideline that only Uttar Pradesh resident will get the Covid Vaccine. People from any state who have registered online and have got a slot are eligible for inoculation in the state."
A massive Covid vaccination program for 18-44 years age group has commenced today. The drive is being conducted in 17 municipal corporations and Gautam Buddh Nagar area.
"The vaccination drive will be held in Aligarh, Agra, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Bareilly, Meerut, Moradabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Firozabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Ayodhya and Shahjahanpur municipal corporations and Gautam Buddh Nagar," the CM said on Sunday.
CM Yogi also said that in the age group of 18-44 years, more than one lakh vaccines have been administered. The vaccination for people in this age group started on May 1 for seven districts in the state, namely Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Meerut, and Bareilly.
Though UP has commenced the vaccination drive in some districts today, the 18+ age group is still struggling to get a slot on the Cowin website/app amid the shortage.
(With inputs from Balram Pandey)