Punjab’s vaccine quota for 45-plus category dries up
CHANDIGARH: The Covid-19 vaccination drive in Punjab for the 45-plus age category has almost dried up for want of vaccine. Also, the state is yet to fully open vaccination drive for the 18-44 age category.
According to reports from various districts, there was a hue and cry at most of the vaccination centres for the second consecutive day with a large number of people returning home without a jab.
On Sunday, there were only 5,200 doses available for the 45-plus category, which, on Monday, came down to 4,200.
Punjab is left with only a few hundred doses of Covishield and
Covaxine that senior health officials say will suffice only for those seeking the second dose on Tuesday.
Even as state government is left with around 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield for the 18-plus category, the quota has been reserved for families of health workers and the construction workers, falling in this age criteria.
The Centre will send 75,000 doses for 45-plus category on Tuesday which are likely to reach the vaccination centres by the same evening. Director, health and family welfare, GB Singh, said because of the shortage of the vials, the vaccination for 44-plus category could not take place on Monday as well.
State finally orders one-lakh Covaxine doses
The Punjab government, which till now was dithering from purchasing Covaxine, on Monday booked an order of onelakh doses with Bharat Biotech.
Earlier, the focus of the government has been on purchasing Covishield from Serum Institute of India (SII) and it didn’t make purchase of Covaxine citing its high price and the availability of Covishield with almost same efficacy at much lower price.
“Many other states booked both Covaxine and Covishield and their supplies from the private manufactures for the 18-plus category is better than ours,” a health department official said.
Principal secretary, health and family welfare, Hussan Lal, said Covaxine is being purchased for the employees working in different industrial units.
“Many industrial units have requested us to make the purchase for which they will contribute,” said the principal secretary. He said the vaccine supply may be better ease in coming days as the private hospitals of the state are also likely to get 2-lakh doses by the end of this month.
On Monday, deputy commissioners also asked the private hospitals which were inoculating the 45-plus category people to give their requirement by May 28. National vice-president of India Medical Association (IMA) Dr Navjot Dahiya said the state should speed-up efforts to provide vaccine to private hospitals as manufactures have expressed their inability to supply directly to them for six months.