Telangana pauses second dose of Covaxin

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Hyderabad, May 16 (IANS) The health authorities in on Sunday announced that they are suspending distribution of Covaxin in view of inadequate stock of the vaccine.

Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao said that in view of inadequate stocks and non-receipt of fresh stocks from Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the second dose drive for persons above 45 years of age is postponed.

Details regarding resumption of vaccination drive will be made available subsequently, he said.

The suspension comes at a time when the state has been focusing on second dose for people above 45 years for over two weeks.

The state has stopped administering of first dose for beneficiaries and has also not taken up vaccination for those above 18 years of age due to lack of sufficient supplies from the Centre.

Telangana, which claims to have capacity to give 10 lakh vaccines every day, is administering 30,000 to 40,000 vaccines daily due to the shortage. On May 14, the health authorities administered about 34,000 vaccines.

The state has so far given 56,25,920 doses. A total of 11.37 lakh beneficiaries received the second dose.

The state government had revealed on Saturday that the Centre decided to increase the quota of Oxygen, Remdesivir injections and supply of vaccines to the state.

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal informed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao about the decision to increase the quota. The central Minister also responded positively on the demand made by the CM to increase the vaccinations quota.

The state has already conveyed to the Centre that to vaccinate people above 45 years of age, the state requires 1.29 crore doses.

The Chief Minister requested the Centre to supply 2 to 2.5 lakh doses per day. There is an urgent need of 13 lakh vaccines till end of May, the state told the Centre.

--IANS

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