Ludhiana runs out of vaccine stock

Only 2,949 people got the jab against the daily target of vaccinating 18,000 residents in the district

The Ludhiana district on Tuesday ran out of Covishield and Covaxin vaccine stock with several patients returning from private and government hospitals without being administered the dose.

Local residents stand in queues outside a vaccination counter at the civil surgeon’s office in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Only 2,949 people got the jab against the daily target of vaccinating 18,000 residents. On Monday, 8,822 residents were vaccinated while the figure was 13,276 and 17,003 on Sunday and a day before.

District immunisation officer Dr Puneet Juneja said 28,000 vaccines reached the city from Chandigarh by the evening. “But even this stock will last not more than two days,” he added.

A number of private hospitals in the city reported having no vaccine for the last 2-3 days. Christian Medical College and Hospital ran out of Covishield while doses of Covaxin were still being administered from the remaining stock on Tuesday.

At Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, some residents were given the dose till noon before the vaccine ran out of stock.

Dr GS Grewal of SAS Grewal Multi-specialty hospital said they had not received the vaccine supply for the last three days.

The health department had stopped supply to around 75 private hospitals in mid-April.