COVID vaccine war: 10 states left with vaccine stocks for 3-4 days

At a time when Coronavirus cases are rising across India, around 10 states are facing vaccine shortage

While Maharashtra is now left with only three days of vaccine stocks. The state is also plagued by shortages of oxygen and remdesivir medicine to combat the surge, as it sees above 50,000 new infections daily, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.

"We have around 14 lakh doses left available... That is the stock sufficient for only three days. Our weekly requirement is around 40 lakh doses to enable us to vaccinate up to 500,000 people. In the current surge, the vaccine is the only 'Ram-baan' available," a grim Tope told media persons here this afternoon.

The vaccination drive was stopped in Gondia district and slowed down in Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana and Washim. Nine other states, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal, have stocks that would last them 3-4 days.

According to a report in Times of India, Odisha got the intimation that it would receive 3.49 lakh doses of Covishield after April 15, state additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra wrote to Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Tuesday, seeking immediate supply of 15 lakh to 20 lakh doses of Covishield. With just 6.5 lakh doses left in stock, Odisha can manage to vaccinate people for three more days.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh faces a similar situation. Bengal too is uncertain about stocks getting replenished. Following Wednesday’s vaccination, it has about 12 lakh doses left, reported TOI.

In Uttar Pradesh, health minister Jai Pratap Singh said there is no shortage of vaccines. However, the present stock – 12.33 lakh doses – would last about 3-4 days. Punjab’s existing stock of about 5 lakh doses would pull the vaccination drive for about 4 more days. The situation is similar in Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. In Tamil Nadu the stock of 18 lakh doses will last about six days.