COVID vaccination drive picks up pace in districts

Depleting vaccine stocks may hamper the drive

April 12, 2021 01:17 am | Updated 09:20 am IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Representational image.

Representational image.

The State’s attempts to improve COVID-19 vaccination among the 45-plus age group seemed to have picked up momentum on Sunday, with people turning up in large numbers at the mass vaccination drives organised in districts.

However, the precarious position of vaccine stock in the State and uncertainties over when additional stock can be expected has dampened the enthusiasm of LSG officials mobilised in all districts to organise mass vaccination camps.

Conducting such camps in the coming weeks could be a serious problem unless fresh stock arrives as the State has just 8,64,000 doses of vaccine in stock as on Sunday, senior Health officials say.

According to the real-time information update in GoI’s CoWin portal, Kerala administered 61,974 doses of the vaccine on Sunday.

So far, the State has administered 48,30,581 doses, of which 4,96,868 are second doses.

Thiruvananthapuram district, which created a record of sorts by vaccinating over 30,000 people on Saturday, could deliver only 13,000 doses on Sunday because of depleting vaccine stocks.

“The district has between 30-35,000 doses in stock now, which would be barely enough for Monday. We may not have any left for the day after,” an official says.

Vaccination was brisk in Kozhikode and Thrissur also on Sunday.

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