INOCULATION OF 18+: Procurement of 5 lakh vaccine doses approved

 The drive may start from the 2nd week of May: Himanta

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: It will take some time for the State Health Department to start the vaccination drive for the 18+ people as their approved vaccine doses are still to arrive in the State.

The State Health Department has already got approval from the Union Health Ministry to procure five lakh vaccines – 3.71 lakh Covishield and 1.28 lakh Covaxin – directly from two manufacturers – Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.

The Union Health Ministry did seek tentative requirements of vaccines for the vaccination of the age group 18-45 years from the State governments. Based on the requirement sent by the State Health Department, the Union Health Ministry has approved direct procurement of the vaccines from the manufacturers.

In its letter to the State Health Department, the Union Health Ministry wrote, "We urge the States to plan vaccination drives according to the availability of doses, and also ensure that the citizens are informed well in advance".

According to official sources, over one lakh people of the age group 18-45 years have registered their names for vaccination in the State, so far. However, the department is yet to make details like vaccination centres and dates known to the registered people as the vaccination doses are yet to arrive in the State.

Sources said that since the numbers of people falling in the age group of 18-45 years are to be several lakhs, the State can't get such a huge number of vaccines at a time. Taking that in view, the Union Health Ministry has advised the States to procure vaccines in phases and go ahead with the vaccination drive.

A few days back, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Department had sought vaccines, one crore each from Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. On Friday he said, "We hope to start the vaccination drive for 18+ people from the second week of May."

On the other hand, vaccines for people above 45 years of age are available in the State. As of now, 14.36 lakh 45 years+, 5,56 lakh frontline workers and 3,24 lakh healthcare workers have been vaccinated in the State.

Meanwhile, in the past four days the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the State has been above 3,000— 3,137 on April 26; 3,132 on April 27; 3,045 on April 28 and 3,079 on April 29.

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