Only 3% vaccinated in 18-45 group in state
As per health dept, 463,380 people in this category given first dose so far; vaccination slow due to paucity of doses, say officials
RANCHI: Only 2.94% of the 1.57 crore persons in the 18-45 age category were inoculated in the first fortnight since Covid-19 vaccination for the group was launched in the state on May 14, according to the state health department’s Covid-19 bulletin.
Of the 3.29 crore population in Jharkhand (as per Census 2011), the 18-45 age group makes for the biggest chunk of the state’s population. As per the health department’s bulletin, 463,380 persons in this category have been inoculated in the state, which accounts for 2.94% of the 15,734,635 targeted individuals in this category.
Officials said vaccination of this category has been slow due to paucity of doses. “We are left with only around 80,000 vaccine doses for the 18-45 category. The stock has exhausted in few districts. Besides, vaccination was disrupted in past few days due to cyclone Yaas. Had we remained on the pace we were earlier on, the stock wouldn’t have lasted for more than three days,” said A Dodde, state nodal officer for Covid-19 vaccination.
The officer said they were making all efforts to procure vaccine for the aforementioned category and process was on to issue a global tender for the purpose. “The proposal has been sent to the Cabinet for approval,” Dodde said.
However, officials admitted that the global tender was unlikely to bear much fruit, as per the experience of some other states that have already invited tenders from global firms.
“It’s a process to procure vaccines. So, we are also going for the tender,” said Dodde.
While the state government has to procure and foot the bill for vaccination for the 18-45 category, the allocation to states is regulated by the Centre, officials said.
Despite all efforts, vaccination for the 18-45 category was likely to proceed at a slow pace even in June largely due to constraints in supply chain. According to officials, as per the monthly plan shared by the Centre with the states, Jharkhand was expected to get 580,710 vaccine doses for this group in June.
Sources said the monthly commitment for June for this category was lower than what the state has received till now. “The state has received 621,950 vaccine doses so far in the month of May,” a senior official said.