Bengaluru (Karnataka): Even though the center on Tuesday ensured to provide a second dose of vaccine for the beneficiaries, the covid vaccination drive is totally derailed in Karnataka due to a shortage of vaccine in the state.
The shortage of the Covid-19 vaccine resulted in the vaccine drive halting in many places. Long queues, no vaccine boards, have become common scenes in the Covid-19 vaccine centers.
Since there is a shortage of vaccines for the 45+, now the vaccination of the 18+ has become a challenge in front of the state government.
The second dose of Covaxin and Covishield not available in many places is raising concern among the people.
Chief Secretary of Government of Karnataka, P Ravi Kumar informed that there is a need for 15 lakh doses every 15 days, as per the current situation. However, in the last 12 days, the state received just 8 lakh doses.
Now the state government decided to give emphasis to those who have already taken the first dose. For the 45+ age group, only 80,000 doses of Covaxin supplied to the state in the last 15 days. In the next three days, another 7 lakh doses are expected.
50% of the vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India and Bharath Biotech are given to the central government while the rest of the 50% are allowed to sell. Both the companies informed that they will increase the supply quantity by July. The center is supplying vaccines to the state on an average basis. Till now the center supplied 99,58,190 doses of Covishield and 10,91,280 Covaxin to the states.
The state government is procuring vaccines for people in the age group of 18-45 years. It has issued purchase orders for 3 crore doses of vaccine. Till Tuesday 7 lakh doses arrived at the state. The vaccines are stocked in 200 places. Around 6 crores doses are expected to vaccinate all above 18 years in the state.
Another 73 lakh doses are required for the 45+ age group in the state. Adding to this 7 lakh health department staff and 5 lakh frontline warriors yet to get the second dose. Around 60 lakh people are fearing that they are crossing the time schedule fixed to get the second dose.
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Vaccination drive progress in Karnataka
Total vaccines used for the vaccination: 1,08,72,080
45+ years first dose: 85,88,870
45+ years second dose: 22,93,210
Doses given for 18+ years: 70,371
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12 days vaccination progress in the state
May 3- 72,984
May 4- 57,835
May 5- 1,36,747
May 6- 61,408
May 7- 1,82,483
May 8- 1,49,255
May 9- 55,832
May 10- 86,766
May 11- 1,51,033
May 12- 1,22,508
