E-Paper
Covid-19 vaccine wastage: Jharkhand at top, Kerala, West Bengal in negative
Covid-19: vaccine wastage: Kerala registered -6.37 per cent wastage and West Bengal registered -5.48 per cent of vaccine wastage.
Kerala and West Bengal during the month of May recorded a negative wastage of Covid-19 vaccines in contrast to Jharkhand that reported the maximum wastage of 33.95 per cent, news agency PTI cited the government data. According to the data, Kerala and West Bengal saved 1.10 lakh and 1.61 lakh vaccine doses, respectively.
Kerala registered -6.37 per cent vaccine wastage and West Bengal registered -5.48 per cent of vaccine wastage. States in the north like Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, reported 7.08 per cent, 3.95 per cent, 3.91 per cent vaccine wastage, PTI reported citing government data.
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In the increasing order, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh reported 3.78, 3.63, 7.35 and 15.79 per cent of vaccine wastage, respectively.
Cumulatively, 790.6 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses were supplied to states and Union territories (UTs) in the month of May, of which total vaccinations were 610.6 lakh, while 685.6 lakh doses were used and the closing balance was 212.7 lakh vaccine doses, as per the data, reported PTI.
In comparison to April, May recorded less vaccinations, even though the government under its liberalised and accelerated vaccination strategy began the inoculation process for people above 18 years of age on May 1.
In April, a total of 898.7 lakh vaccine doses were administered, 902.2 lakh vaccinations were used and the month had a closing balance of 80.8 lakh, reported PTI citing the data.
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As of June 7, the first dose coverage of people above the age of 45 years was at 38 per cent, with Tripura at the top covering 92 per cent of its population. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh at 65 per cent each, Kerala at 51 per cent, Gujarat at 53 per cent and Delhi at 49 per cent, according to the data, reported PTI.
States recording low first dose coverage for people older than 45 years include Tamil Nadu with 19 per cent, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh at 24 per cent each and Bihar at 25 per cent, as per the data.
