Maharashtra: 7.5 crore vaccine doses administered, 2.1 crore given both doses

Thane, Aurangabad, Raigad, Palghar, Nashik, Satara and Kolhapur districts are among districts where more than one lakh doses were administered in private hospitals.

Private hospitals in the state accounted for 1.1 crore of the 7.5 crore vaccine doses.

A total of 7.5 crore vaccine doses have been administered in Maharashtra so far, of which 5.36 crore beneficiaries have got the first dose and 2.13 crore are fully vaccinated with both doses. Of these, 1.34 crore people in the age group of 45 and above have got both doses while over 51 lakh people between 18-44 years have been fully vaccinated.

Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary (health), Maharashtra said the maximum vaccinations in a single day were achieved on September 8 (over 15 lakh ), September 18 (over 13 lakh), September 17 (over 12 lakh), September 4 (over 12 lakh) and August 21 (over 11 lakh).

Private hospitals in the state accounted for 1.1 crore of the 7.5 crore vaccine doses. In private hospitals across Mumbai, over 45 lakh vaccine doses were administered while more than 28 lakh vaccine doses were administered across private hospitals in Pune.

Thane, Aurangabad, Raigad, Palghar, Nashik, Satara and Kolhapur districts are among districts where more than one lakh doses were administered in private hospitals. Over 68 lakh people have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine in Pune district while more than 30 lakh are fully vaccinated.

Pune positivity rate below 5 per cent

Pune district’s weekly Covid positivity rate has dropped below 5 per cent in the week from September 15 to 21, according to a new state Health Department analysis. The positivity rate, however, remains higher than the state average, which also dipped to 2.28 percent.

Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary (health), Maharashtra has urged district administrations to expedite the vaccination process and inoculate people in large numbers.

“We have to be vigilant for any rise in Covid-19 cases post Ganpati celebrations,” Dr Vyas told The Indian Express, adding that testing also should be increased in addition to maintaining social distancing and other measures.

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In Ahmednagar district, which has recently seen a high number of Covid-19 cases along with Pune, the Covid positivity rate in the week of September 15 to 21 dropped to 4.78 per cent as against the previous week, when it was 5.52 per cent.

According to the state Health Department report, along with Ahmednagar and Pune, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Osmanabad, Nashik, Palghar and Satara districts right now have weekly Covid positivity rates higher than the state average.

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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