Panaji, May 25 (IANS): Goa will soon open on-the-spot registration for vaccination of persons in the age group of 18-44, with preference to lactating mothers and those with comorbidities, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday.

Sawant also said during a press conference that the state government would launch a second phase of Tika Utsav in order to inoculate 40 per cent of the state's population above the age of 45 years, who have not been vaccinated yet.

"The expert committee has recommended and the government has agreed to have spot registration for vaccination of lactating mothers, whose children are less than two years old and those who are between the 18-44 years age group and those with comorbid conditions," Sawant said.

Sawant said that the state of Goa currently has only 6,000 vaccine doses for the age group of 18-44 years.

"The second lot of 36,000 vaccines will arrive in the first week of June, but besides that we have sought permission from the government of India to loan some of the vaccines that are allocated for the above 45 age group. In the coming eight to ten days, we will start the vaccination for the priority groups in the 18-44 age group," Sawant said.

Sawant also said that the Goa government's Tika Utsav 2.0 which begins on Wednesday was aimed at vaccinating the nearly 40 per cent of the population of 44 plus years who have eluded the Covid shot.

"The Tika Utsav is only for those who want to take the first dose. Those who want the second dose will be given only after they complete 84 days (after the first shot). We can complete 90-100 per cent vaccination of the above 44 then we can focus on the 18+ year group," Sawant said.