Vijayawada: Lack of proper distribution of Covid-19 vaccine doses among vaccination centres seems to be resulting in short supply in some districts in the state.
The demand for Covid-19 vaccines is increasing given the steady rise in the number of Coronavirus infections, the death of infected persons and the addition of a new group of people aged above 45 years as well as the addition of ward and village secretariats.
In Anantapur district, Covaxin stocks have been exhausted and the health authorities are looking for a fresh supply. Anantapur district medical and health officer Dr Y. Kameswara Prasad said, “We have nearly 40,000 doses of Covishield at present.”
So is the case in East Godavari, which is facing a short supply of Covaxin in some parts of the district. East Godavari district medical and health officer Dr K.V.S. Gowriswara Rao said, “We have 40,200 doses of Covishield and 10,500 doses of Covaxin at present. We are adjusting doses based on need from centres having more stocks to those where less stocks are available. We are not turning away any eligible person for want of stocks.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi opted for a Covaxin jab, there is a huge demand for the vaccine with people assuming that it is relatively safe and having few side effects.
In Visakhapatnam district, the opening of vaccination for those above 45 years of age without comorbidities, the daily requirement has doubled to 20,000 from 10,000 per day earlier.
Visakhapatnam district medical and health officer Dr P. S. Suryanarayana said, “We have got 80,000-doses of both the vaccine. We are adjusting stocks of vaccine doses from Covid vaccination centres with surplus stocks to others where there is a need, and replenishing them once we get the stocks.”
In Krishna district, the health authorities said that their stock position was good, and they were administering the shot up to 8 00 pm as aged persons were finding it difficult to turn up at CVCs in the afternoon due to the heatwave conditions.
However, state health authorities admit that given the rise in demand, they are finding a short supply of doses in some centres and adjusting them from other centres.
A senior health official said, “The main culprit for the short supply of vaccine doses in some vaccination centres is said to be the thumb rule to supply 600 doses of vaccine to each CVC per day irrespective of demand. Unless, the authorities concerned carefully plan to supply vaccine doses based on need instead of the rule, this problem will persist.”
Infographics:
AP received 30.3 lakh doses of Covishield and 8.14 doses of Covaxin.
The state has balance stocks of 8.30 lakh doses in both varieties.
