The COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to 3,938 persons on the first day of the Tika Utsav which commenced on Sunday in East Godavari district. However, it was confined to four secretariats – two in Kakinada and one each in Rajamahendravaram and Rampa agency.
The inoculation programme is supposed to be conducted across the district, covering everyone aged above 45, but that did not happen owing to shortage of the vaccine.
The utsav was inaugurated by Social Welfare Minister P. Viswaroop in Kakinada city.
“By Sunday, we were left with only 4,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 3,938 people were given the jab. Now there are no stocks left in the district,” District Medical and Health Officer Dr. K.V.S. Gowreeswara Rao told The Hindu.
Some doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the district on Monday. The programme will be resumed whenever the vaccine arrives.
Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy said that they had informed the higher authorities about the shortage of the vaccine.
He said more than 3.3 lakh people had been administered the vaccine in the district since January 16.
