K’taka may have stockpiled jabs for record inoculations: Data

A record number of Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered in Karnataka on Monday compared to the previous days, official data shows, indicating the possibility that the BS Yediyurappa-led state government had stockpiled supplies to show a surge on the occasion of the nationwide Vaccination Maha Abhiyan

A record number of Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered in Karnataka on Monday compared to the previous days, official data shows, indicating the possibility that the BS Yediyurappa-led state government had stockpiled supplies to show a surge on the occasion of the nationwide Vaccination Maha Abhiyan.

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Data from CoWin shows that Karnataka administered 68,172 doses on Sunday as against a record 11,21,648 on Monday. Bengaluru, which topped the cities’ list in the country, administered just 25,054 on Sunday as against a record 1,68,958 on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led campaign saw administration of 85,96,807 doses across all states as against 29,37,503 on Sunday, raising questions if similar exercise was followed in other places to show higher numbers and mark the success of the event.

“Vaccination cannot be seen like a one-day fixture. Clearly, yesterday (Monday) was a pre-planned, image-booster. Today we have not sustained that level. We simply have to sustain at least 80 lakh a day for the next four-five months,” Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said in a post on Twitter.

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar shared Ramesh’s views. “Instead of treating vaccination rates as a one-day event, Bengaluru and Karnataka need to increase vaccination rates day by day. If we can vaccinate 80% of adults in the next 3 months, we can prevent the third wave,” Shivakumar posted on Twitter.

Senior government officials said Karnataka is among a handful of states that have been administering doses every day unlike several others who designate two or three days in a week.

The allegations of stockpiling for the event added to challenges of the state government, which is already facing criticism for claiming a sharp decline in new infections by reducing the number of tests as well as charges of underreporting deaths.

“If we get more vaccines, we will deliver more. Even in slumber we can deliver 5 lakh doses every day. With a little bit of effort, we can go up to 6-7 lakh per day,” said a senior government official, requesting not to be named.

Karnataka crossed the 20-million vaccination mark and is among the highest in the country, as it administered 3,78,038 doses on Tuesday, according to CoWin data.

Karnataka has also had a higher rate of vaccination compared to other states.

The Yediyurappa government, like his counterparts in other states, is looking at higher vaccination to minimise the impact of a third wave of infections.

Karnataka, which was among the worst Covid-hit regions in the country, has seen a sharp decline in cases over the last few days, prompting the Yediyurappa-led government to relax lockdown-like restrictions and allow some normalcy to return after almost six weeks.

Karnataka registered 3,709 new infections in the 24-hour period, according to the daily bulletin of the state health department on Tuesday.

There were 8,111 recoveries that brought down the active caseload to 118,592.

The positivity rate was at 2.87% as the state conducted 129,099 tests, data shows. However, fatality rate saw a sharp spike to 3.74% as 139 more succumbed to the virus, taking the toll to 34,164.

Bengaluru recorded 803 new infections and 1,745 recoveries that brought down its active caseload to 69,344. There were 26 more deaths reported, taking the toll to 15,499.

The official quoted above said that the state received an additional 200,000 doses of Covishield and 25,000 of Covaxin on Saturday as part of the campaign. He said that the state can achieve a far higher rate of vaccination if it has adequate supply.

There are around 13,000 vaccination centres in Karnataka of which around 6,700 are operational, which the official said would ensure around 1.3 million doses every day even if each centre administered just 100 doses.

Karnataka has administered 100,000 to 300,000 doses per day, data shows. Of this, a majority are still the first dose. The state government has set a target of giving at least one dose to all eligible citizens of the state by the end of the year. However, a significant number of these vaccine doses in places like Karnataka are paid as people prefer the hassle-free experience in private healthcare providers. In Bengaluru, private hospitals account for more than 50% of all doses administered as these centres are inoculating even those categories of people not on the priority list of the state or the Centre.