CHANDIGARH: Citing the current demand for over 2 lakh COVID vaccine doses for the second dose alone, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday demanded 40 lakh more doses from the Center on an urgent basis to vaccinate the eligible population of the state.
The state was expected to receive 2.46 lakh vaccines on Monday, but the chief minister said during a COVID review virtual meeting that the supply of vaccines is short, which has run out. coveshield vaccine and were left with only 3,500 Covaxin doses as of Monday.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab has already vaccinated more than 90 lakh eligible people (about 37% of the eligible population) and is utilizing the stock without any wastage. While the first dose has been given to 75 lakh people, 15 lakh have also received the second dose.
Amarinder said the Center needs to make arrangements for immediate delivery in the state to meet the shortfall and enable immunization of all those who require a second dose, along with immunization of other eligible persons.
Pointing out that the doses being supplied to private hospitals were getting wasted as people preferred to go to government hospitals for free vaccination, the Health Secretary Hussain Lalu The meeting was informed that the state has sought to divert the stock from private hospitals, but no response has been received from the Center so far.
The state was expected to receive 2.46 lakh vaccines on Monday, but the chief minister said during a COVID review virtual meeting that the supply of vaccines is short, which has run out. coveshield vaccine and were left with only 3,500 Covaxin doses as of Monday.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab has already vaccinated more than 90 lakh eligible people (about 37% of the eligible population) and is utilizing the stock without any wastage. While the first dose has been given to 75 lakh people, 15 lakh have also received the second dose.
Amarinder said the Center needs to make arrangements for immediate delivery in the state to meet the shortfall and enable immunization of all those who require a second dose, along with immunization of other eligible persons.
Pointing out that the doses being supplied to private hospitals were getting wasted as people preferred to go to government hospitals for free vaccination, the Health Secretary Hussain Lalu The meeting was informed that the state has sought to divert the stock from private hospitals, but no response has been received from the Center so far.
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