Vaccine Shortage Stalls Vaccination Drive For Those Above 45 In Telangana

HYDERABAD: Telangana health authorities announced that they are suspending the distribution of Covid vaccination for individuals above 45 years in view of inadequate stock of Covaxin. Details regarding the resumption of the vaccination drive will be made available subsequently, Director of Public Health, Dr G Srinivasa Rao said on Sunday.

While the state has been focusing on the second dose for people above 45 years for over two weeks, the suspension order issued by the government came as a shocker for many who were waiting for the jab.

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Due to lack of sufficient supplies from the Centre, the State government has stopped administering the first dose for beneficiaries and has also not taken up vaccination for those above 18 years.

The state has so far given 56,25,920 doses and a total of 11.37 lakh beneficiaries received the second dose. Telangana claims to have the capacity to give 10 lakh vaccines every day but is administering 30,000 to 40,000 vaccines daily due to shortage.

The state has already conveyed to the Centre that to vaccinate people above 45 years of age, the state requires 1.29 crore doses. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao requested the Centre to supply 2 to 2.5 lakh doses per day. There is an urgent need for 13 lakh vaccines till the end of May, the state told the Centre.