No shortage of vaccine, focus on large containment: Harsh Vardhan to states

Dr Harsh Vardhan said the states should now focus on creating bigger containment zones, which is known as 'community quarantine'. The minister also clarified there is no vaccine shortage in the country.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday asked health ministers of 11 worst-hit states to shift the focus on large containment now as the previous peak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been left behind and the situation is worsening every day. Assuring the states of adequate and unhindered supply of vaccines, the minister said a change in the containment strategy may yield results.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan held a video conference of state/UT health ministers to review the current pandemic situation of the country.

"We can now focus on bigger containment zones which can be called community quarantine to change the strategy," the minister said as he addressed the state health ministers through a video conference.

Broaching the vaccine situation of the country, as Odisha, Andhra Pradesh have flagged the issue of vaccine scarcity in recent times, the health minister said till now, the Centre has supplied 14.15 crore doses to all states and UTs, out of which about 12.57 crore doses have been consumed. Another batch of 1.58 crore doses will be reaching the states in one week, the health minister said. "I am quoting these numbers so that there is no misconception about vaccine availability. I am giving you all the numbers," Vardhan said.

The meeting comes as the Covid-19 situation in the country is worsening amid reports of shortage of vaccines, medical oxygen, hospital beds. On Saturday, the BKC jumbo Covid-19 vaccination centre was shut temporarily owing to the shortage of vaccines.

At present, there are over 18 lakh Covid-19 beds in the country, the minister said and urged the states to strengthen the health workforce immediately.

"We have been doing genome sequencing before this UK variant came to the world's notice. We have been doing everything required to bring the situation under control. This year, we have vaccine to bolster our fight," the health minister said urging states to send more samples for genome sequencing.

The unprecedented surge in the number of daily infections has forced many states to bring back restrictions, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi too emphasised on the need of micro-containment zones, without imposing lockdown in a larger scale.