GUWAHATI: Assam may get some relief from the ‘severe vaccine shortage’ only after July 12. State health secretary Anurag Goel told TOI on Saturday that the shortage is likely to continue for about a week. “After July 12 vaccine supply to Assam is expected to improve,” he said.
Till July 12, Assam may have to continue with ‘limited vaccination’ from the seven lakh doses that the state health department had received on June 30. Assam had received six lakh doses from their quota in July, while one lakh doses remained from their quota of June.
Officials in the state immunization office said that they were expecting one lakh Covaxin doses on July 12. Another consignment of about 2.6 lakh Covishield doses are scheduled to reach the state on July 15. Nevertheless, considering the high percentage of the population still without vaccination, with the second wave of the pandemic on in full swing, these stocks in the pipeline may fall way short for mass vaccination.
“We are getting more Covishield doses than Covaxin. So, Covaxin is being administered only for the pending second dose,” Goel said.
On July 1, a total of 1.85 lakh people were vaccinated, whereas the corresponding figure for July 2 was 2.37 lakh. On Saturday, about 1.32 lakh jabs were administered till the evening. “Around 5.5 lakh vaccines, out of seven lakh doses received on June 30, have been used. It’s going to be another week-long crisis if the new consignment does not arrive soon. The state is lagging far behind if we consider the three-lakh inoculation target planned earlier,” an immunization official said.