Vaccine scarcity hits State’s COVID fight

Centre’s immunisation policy complicates innoculation drive

The pace of COVID-19 vaccination in the State is proceeding at a snail’s pace with vaccine scarcity, erratic supply and the difficulty in getting a vaccination slot leaving many in the 45-plus age group without the protection of even a single dose.

The Centre’s opening up of COVID vaccination for the 18-44 age group on April 1, while vaccine scarcity was very much being felt and when vaccination of the most vulnerable group of senior citizens was nowhere near completion, has complicated the drive.

The State’s initial plan had been to push ahead with vaccination. However, the plan, which had got off to a great start, was derailed in no time when the vaccine supply from the Centre began dwindling.

No supply

With the Centre announcing that it would no longer be supplying vaccines for inoculating the 18-44 age group and that States had to fend for themselves, Kerala stopped the supply of vaccines to private hospitals since May 1 and the campaign is now restricted to a handful of government hospitals.

Following the chaotic scenes at vaccination centres, the State has stopped spot registration. But the vaccination slots available online are so limited that these get booked in no time.

The government has purchased close to 8.5 lakh doses directly. But this is being used exclusively for vaccinating the priority groups and those with comorbidities in the 18-44 age group.

“Right now, the vaccination of those in the 45-plus group and that of the 18-44 group is proceeding at a snail’s pace. Many who are 60 plus and considered the most vulnerable to COVID have not received even a single dose of vaccine. The data from CoWin show that only 33,37,977 doses have been administered amongst this group. The Centre has extended the inter-dose interval of Covishield vaccine from 12 to 16 weeks,” a Health official said.

Covaxin out of stock

However, Covaxin’s dosage interval remains eight weeks . Many in the 45-plus age group who have taken the first dose of Covaxin and who are due for the second dose are in a fix now because the State has totally run out of Covaxin stock. Though additional supplies are expected soon, this would be in very limited quantities and an individual’s odds of getting a vaccination slot remain low.

Meanwhile, studies which indicate that a single dose of vaccine offers very low protection against the virus variant B.1.617.1, the dominant strain in circulation in the State, has raised alarm that a chunk of the elderly are remaining vulnerable to infection.

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