The process to vaccinate people awaiting their second jab of Covaxin had to be halted in a majority of Bengal districts, including Calcutta, on Friday because of shortage of supply of the indigenous vaccine from the Centre.
Sources in the health department said there were around three lakh people who were waiting for the second dose of Covaxin having completed the mandatory 28 days after the first dose.
“As per report on Friday, two lakh people are waiting for the second dose and have crossed 42 days after their first dose. As per norms, the second dose of Covaxin will be given after 28 days of the first dose,” said a senior health official adding that there are nearly one lakh persons who have crossed the mandatory four weeks after the first dose.
Sources said, as of Friday the central vaccine store at Bagbazar in Calcutta had only 5,000 doses of Covaxin. State health officials said the scarcity had developed over the past two months as the Centre did not supply adequate amounts of Covaxin during this period even after several requisitions from the state government.
“We have no supply of Covaxin and had received only 40,000 Covaxin doses from the Centre yesterday (Thursday). Now most of the districts and health centres in Calcutta have no stock of Covaxin,” said a senior health official.
Health officials in various districts said they had on average 8,000-10,000 persons who need to be vaccinated with a second dose of Covaxin. With a large number of people turning up at the health centres every day, officials fear that it might lead to a law and order situation. Sources said people in several districts staged demonstrations outside health centres on Friday and accused health officials of being responsible for the shortage of Covaxin.
“People who are awaiting their second dose of Covaxin doses are visiting vaccination centres and getting involved in heating exchanges with our employees. We can understand their need but we have no option because of shortage of vaccines,” said a senior health official in East Burdwan.
Chief medical officer of health, East Burdwan, Pranab Roy said the people were being told about the shortage of Covaxin.
In Birbhum, there are around 8,000 people who are waiting for a second dose of Covaxin and the district had only 2,000 doses till Thursday.
“The 2,000 doses of Covaxin had been distributed among all block and sub-divisional vaccination centres. Now we have to wait for the next supply,” said Jayanta Sukul, a deputy chief medical officer in Birbhum.
In view of the shortage of vaccines, health officials in the districts have been told by the state government to halt the first dose of vaccination with Covaxin.
“In view of the shortage in supply of the vaccine, we have already asked our employees not to administer Covaxin as the first shot,” said a health official.