Air India cancels Covid-19 vaccination camp due to shortage of vaccines

State-owned airline Air India has cancelled its proposed vaccination drive tomorrow due to shortage of vaccines.

The Covid-19 vaccination drive, which was supposed to be held on 11th and 13th of May, was cancelled at last moment.
 

India is facing a severe vaccine shortage as it battles a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

"The proposed Covid vaccination camp at GSD complex, Indira Gandhi International Airport on 11th and 13th stands cancelled because government authorities have expressed inability to hold these camps due to non-availability of vaccines," a note from the senior assistant general manager of medical said in a note adding that fresh dates will be announced as soon as the airline will be able to buy new vaccines.
 

Air India had earlier said that it will vaccinate all its employees by the end of May after a section of pilots of the airline informed the company's management that they will stop working if the company failed to set up vaccination camps across the country for its flying crew.
 

"A schedule for vaccination is now being drawn up and it is expected to commence as early as next week and all employees will be vaccinated by the end of this month, that is May 2021," the airline had said in a statement.
 

On Tuesday, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), a union of erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots and pilots of narrow body aircraft of the airline, had said in a letter addressed to the airline's director (operations) Captain R.S. Sandhu that many members of the airline crew have been diagnosed with coronavirus, and are struggling to get oxygen cylinders and are left to fend for themselves for the hospitalisation process.