GGM TO STOP VACCINATIONS FOR 18-44 AGE GROUP FROM TODAY AS DOSES RUN OUT
Covid-19 vaccinations for people in the 18 to 44 age group will be suspended on Friday, as the district health department has run out of vaccine doses on Thursday, officials said. Second doses for those aged 45 and above will continue, but are likely to get affected if the district does not receive fresh stock from the state health administration by Friday night.
“Both Covishield and Covaxin stocks for beneficiaries above 18 years are over. Therefore, no sessions have been planned for Friday. Only Covishield shots will be given to those aged 45 and above, waiting for their second shot. If the doses are not allocated on Friday, vaccination for 45 above will also be disrupted,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer.
The district has been facing a shortage of vaccines since Tuesday, when the health department ran out of Covishield doses allocated for the 18-44 age group. Although the state health department provided 4,500 doses of Covaxin, the stock finished on Wednesday, following which the health department collated unused vials of Covisheild from various urban primary health centres. At least 3,982 people took their second dose at government sites and 50 at private hospitals on Thursday.
On Thursday, at least 2,279 people in the 18-44 age group got jabs at government health centres, and 371 in private facilities. Only two private hospitals — Fortis and Max — are currently giving shots.
“We have already demanded the state health department to provide the stock. We are not sure about the quantity of allocation as there has been an overall shortage,” said Dr MP Singh, district immunisation officer. According to Singh, there are about 8,000 doses left for the population above 45 years.
Earlier in the day, Haryana health minister Anil Vijsaid that the state government will float a global tender for the Covid-19 vaccines to ensure free vaccination for those aged between 18 and 44 years.
He had recently said that about 11 million people in the state are in the 18-44 age bracket.
Rajeev Arora, additional chief secretary, health, said, “In principle, it has been decided to float global tender for vaccines.”
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