COVID-19 vaccination drive paused in Maharashtra amid technical issues

Mumbai: Maharashtra became the second state after Odisha to temporarily halt the COVID-19 vaccine drive. The state government decided to pause the first phase of vaccine drive in the entire Maharashtra amid technical glitch with CoWIN App, the state health department stated on Saturday.

Earlier, the Odisha administration too decided to halt the first phase of drive for a day on Sunday to observe those who received the vaccine on Saturday.

Vaccination drive is expected to start again after 18 January in Maharashtra.

The vaccination drive observed minor problems on day one at some centres because of technical problems in the CoWIN app. The vaccination was halted temporarily in Then when the connection to the CoWIN website was lost. As a result, messages were not being carried to the beneficiaries.

"Not just in Maharashtra, everywhere in the country this app created problems in the execution of vaccination drive. We have decided to suspend the vaccination for the next two days. On January 8, when dry run was conducted, and again today I specifically pointed out problems with the CoWIN app and Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said he will look into it," Health Minister Rajesh Tope was quoted as saying by PTI.

Meanwhile, 1,91,181 people were inoculated around India on Saturday after the country started its mega vaccination drive against COVID-19.