Maharashtra plans close-to-home inoculation sessions for under-18 age group

In Pune, there are 3.5 lakh beneficiaries in this age group with 17 per cent fully vaccinated with both doses. Nagpur has been able to administer both doses to 7 per cent of the 1.6 lakh total beneficiaries in this age group.

A boy receives a dose of Covid vaccine during a vaccination drive organised for children, in Thergaon PCMC on Wednesday (Express photo by Rajesh Stephen)

In order to expedite the process of Covid-19 vaccinations, especially in the below-18 age group, Maharashtra’s health department is planning to set up vaccination sessions in localities close to the homes of the beneficiaries. At least 55 per cent of the beneficiaries in the 12-14 age group have received the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine while 18 per cent are fully vaccinated. The total number of beneficiaries in this age group is around 39 lakh.

According to data till May 2, there are 3.5 lakh beneficiaries in the age group in Pune of which 17 per cent is fully vaccinated with both doses.

Dr Sachin Desai, state immunisation officer, said, “The effort will now be to encourage near-to-home vaccination sessions.”

Vaccination in the 12-18 age group has been free-of-cost at government-run immunisation centres. The state has a target beneficiary population of 60.63 lakh in the 15-18 age group. At least 64 per cent have got the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine while 44 per cent of the beneficiaries in this age group have got both doses.

At least 17 districts in the state, including Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur, have reported vaccination rate in the age group lower than the state average.

Mumbai, Pune among districts with maximum coverage in 18+ age group

Until May 2, the state had fully vaccinated 75 per cent of the 9.1 crore estimated beneficiaries who are above 18 years. Around 92.21 per cent have got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Mumbai has reported cent per cent full vaccination of the estimated 92.36 lakh beneficiaries while Pune has fully vaccinated 92 per cent of 83.42 lakh beneficiaries in the 18+ age group. Satara, Sangli, Nagpur, Kolhapur are among other districts, which have reported over 75 per cent full vaccination in this age group.

‘Hesitancy among parents, concerns about side effects’

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Despite availability of Covid-19 vaccine in the 6-12 age group, as much as 41 per cent of parents are unwilling to get their wards inoculated immediately, according to a survey by LocalCircles, a community social media platform. The survey received feedback from 18,500 parents residing in 345 districts of India. Sachin Taparia, founder of LocalCircles, said, “This hesitancy is primarily due to concerns around side effects, very low probabilities of severe disease in children from the variants currently in circulation and (doubts over) whether the currently administered vaccines provide protection from Omicron and its sub variants or not.”

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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