Over 30% of adults in Delhi have got at least one vaccine dose: Atishi

New Delhi More than 30% of Delhi’s adult population have got at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Atishi on Friday

New Delhi More than 30% of Delhi’s adult population have got at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Atishi on Friday.

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“The supply is also better now which is helping the Delhi government revive more vaccine centres for both 18-45 age group and the 45+ age group. However, due to shortage, Covaxin doses in stock are being used for only second dose,” said Atishi, reading the Delhi government’s vaccine bulletin in a live streamed video briefing.

Currently, there are 595 Delhi government centres for the 45+ group and 263 for the 18-45 group. While all centres for the 18-45 groups were suspended for shortage of vaccines last month, more than 300 sites for the 45+ were temporarily closed too.

“For the 45+ group, we have also invested in an intensive outreach programme with which we aim to cover vaccination of the entire group in four weeks. With the new policy of the central government, we hope the supply of vaccines get even better after June 21 and help increase vaccine coverage of Delhi from 30% to 60% in the next one month,” she further said.

As per government records, Delhi’s total population is around 20.6 million, of which around 15 million are adults who are eligible for vaccination.

Government records further showed that around 4.52 million people in Delhi have taken at least one dose of the vaccine (30% of 15 million) and 1.39 million have got their second doses too.

The 4.52 million first doses include around 250,000 healthcare workers, 425,000 frontline workers, 2.58 million people aged over 45 years, and 1.23 million individuals in the 18-45 age group, government records showed.

Of the 1.39 million second doses, around 180,000 were given to healthcare workers, 260,000 to frontline workers, 887,000 to people aged over 45 years and 67,400 to the 18-45 age group, government records showed.

Delhi’s first drive-through site suspended

Meanwhile, Delhi’s first drive-through vaccine site, which was launched on May 27 by a private hospital at the premises of a shopping mall in Dwarka sector 14, has been suspended in the light of the recent price capping announced by the central government.

“We have decided to stop Delhi’s first drive-through -- a highly safe and convenient way for public, which we ran non-stop for 15 days -- owing to the new vaccination pricing which has made running it non-viable now,” said Aakash Healthcare Superspeciality Hospital in a statement.

The Union health ministry on Tuesday capped the prices of coronavirus vaccines being administered at private vaccination centres, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that private hospitals can procure 25% of the doses manufactured in the country and administer them at price set by the manufacturer, with a maximum of ₹150 as additional service charge.

An office memorandum issued by the ministry fixed the maximum price per dose of Covishield at ₹780, for Covaxin at ₹1,410, and for Sputnik V at ₹1,145, which is as per the prices disclosed by the vaccine manufacturers at the moment.

The drive through centre at Dwarka used to charge ₹1,400 per dose for Covishield.