UP to get fresh stock of 19.76 lakh doses

LUCKNOW : Uttar Pradesh would get a fresh stock of 19.76 lakh doses of the Covid vaccines next week before inoculation of all people above 45 years of age started on April 1, a health official said.

The arrival of the fresh stock will begin on March 30, first reaching nine state-level depots in Varanasi, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Jhansi, Agra and Kanpur. The process is expected to be completed in three days after Holi.

“We shall get the additional stock of 19.76 lakh vaccine doses by April 1. We have a current stock of about nine lakh doses,” said Dr Ajai Ghai, state immunisation officer.

From the state-level depots, the vaccines will be distributed to 1300 cold chain points in 75 districts. Each district has a central and a local cold chain point identified to feed vaccination centres each day when the inoculation takes place.

UP has already received 74 lakh doses of the vaccines so far and over 56 lakh doses have been administered. The recipients include over 10 lakh people who have got their second dose as well. The number of vaccination centres will be increased from the current level of about 4500. Soon, the health and wellness centres (HWCs) in the state will also start giving the Covid jabs.“As the vaccination for all the people of 45 years and above starts, the number of beneficiaries will go up. We expect an increase in the rush for vaccination. Hence, HWCs are being prepared for vaccination so that the process remains hassle-free,” said a senior health official.

The maximum doses given in the state in one day is over 3.5 lakh. Since January 16, UP has vaccinated over three lakh people in a day on three occasions.