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Agra reels undervaccine shortage
Agra The Taj city reeled under shortage of vaccine all through the week and those reaching health centres for inoculation returned disappointed
Agra The Taj city reeled under shortage of vaccine all through the week and those reaching health centres for inoculation returned disappointed. The vaccine was available at the District Hospital, SN Medical College and Lady Lyall Hospital but not at most centres spread all over the city.
Chief medical officer (CMO), Agra, Dr RC Pandey admitted there was shortage of vaccines at centres this week but claimed that there was no shortage of the second dose.
“There has been shortage of vaccines at various centres and those coming for vaccination had to return dejected. The state authorities have been apprised of this and we hope that a fresh consignment of vaccines would reach Agra by Saturday,” he said.
“However there is no shortage of second dose vaccines,” he said. Most of the health centres had been vaccinating people with Covishield. At certain centres, Covaxine was also given. There were about 227 vaccination centres and 208 of them faced shortage of vaccines, revealed sources.
“ I have been going to the community health centre in Gandhi Nagar at 9 am for the past three days. The staff goes to fetch vaccines but returns with complaint of ‘no stock’. Like me, many are returning without being vaccinated,” said Rajeev Agarwal, a shopkeeper in Gandhi Nagar market.
“On the one hand, the government is urging people to get vaccinated but on other hand, there is no stock of vaccines for days together,” he complained.
When vaccinated, those getting first dose of Covishield were asked to get the second dose about a month later but now the beneficiaries are being asked to wait for 6 to 8 weeks.
In most most of the centre, staff sat idle and a notice was pasted that there was no vaccine at health centre.
“Due to this shortage of vaccines at centres, more and more people are reaching the District Hospital, SN Medical College and Lady Lyall where the number swells leading to a crowd and posing risk on account of lack of physical distancing,” complained a person standing in queue at the District Hospital.
