E-Paper
Punjab running out of vaccine stock, no clarity on fresh supply of doses
With Punjab running out of Covishield vaccine stock on Tuesday and left with 1
With Punjab running out of Covishield vaccine stock on Tuesday and left with 1.12 lakh doses of Covaxin, only 29,589 jabs were administered on Tuesday and there was no clarity on the state getting fresh supply from the Centre .
“There has not been any communication from the Centre about allocation of fresh doses of Covishield for Wednesday. The state is likely to get 60,000 Covaxin doses in the next couple of days,” a senior government official involved in the inoculation drive said.
The demand for the Covishield is more in the state and a large number of people, especially the international travellers, are shying away from taking the Covaxin dose. The Centre’s vaccine data reveals that the state was scheduled to get 21 lakh doses of Covishield and Covaxin in June but got only 17 lakh doses till Tuesday.
For private hospitals in Punjab, the Centre has proposed 6.25 lakh doses. But there was a poor response from private hospitals as they booked only 60,000 doses.
“Of the 60,000 doses for which the private hospitals have already made payment, not a single dose has arrived in the state,” said a senior official.
Chief minister Amarinder Singh has reiterated the demand for more jabs from the Centre to vaccinate the entire 18-45 age group to complete the vaccination of all eligible persons in the next two months. Even as he ordered opening of vaccination to the entire population in the 18-45 age group, the CM said focus will remain on covering the categories prioritised earlier.
Currently, 4.8% of Punjab’s eligible population is fully vaccinated, with Mohali district leading the chart. The CM said the state government had already vaccinated 62 lakh eligible persons and was utilising the stock without any wastage.
“The state had been repeatedly taking up the issue of inadequate doses with the Union government. I will take up the matter again with the Union health minister on urgent basis and also the Prime Minister, if needed,” said Amarinder.
State health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu questioned the BJP-ruled states like Haryana and Gujarat received the lion’s share of doses from the Centre.
98% protection among
police personnel after 2 doses
Citing a study on the Punjab Police showing 98% protection among their personnel after receiving two doses of vaccine, Amarinder asked the health and medical education departments to continue monitoring vaccine efficacy in the light of the new variants of concern. Of around 79,000 Punjab Police personnel having been vaccinated so far, 57% have received the second dose. The study, conducted between February 3 and June 28, showed that of the total deaths during this period 15 were of those not vaccinated at all, nine of those who had received one dose, and only two who were fully vaccinated.
