Hyderabad, Jul 4 (IANS): Continuing its special drive for vaccination for the 18-44 year age group, Telangana has administered over 1.17 lakh doses for this beneficiary group.

A total of 1,68,143 doses were administered on Saturday. This comprised 1,41,507 first dose and 26,636 second dose.

According to Director of Public Health, Dr G. Srinivasa Rao, 1,17,254 people in the 18-44 age group were vaccinated. Of them, 5,985 received the second dose.

The health department on July 1 rolled out vaccination for 18-44. The state initiated vaccination at 100 designated centres in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits with prior online booking using the Co-WIN portal. It was also launched at 204 centres in urban local bodies with prior online booking using the Co-WIN portal and at 636 rural primary health centres in walk-in mode.

While the government allowed private hospitals to administer Covid vaccines to 18 and above age groups in the last week of May, this is the first time that government-run vaccination centres specifically cater to this group.

The total number of doses administered in the state to all groups so far reached 1,12,38,112 -- 96,34,187 first dose and 16,03,945 second dose.

As many as 40.82 lakh doses were administered to people in the 18-44 age group. The majority of the people in this age group were already covered under the vaccination for high risk groups and superspreaders over the last one month.