Centre should put out district-wise data of daily inoculations: Congress

Congress claimed there is a shortage of vaccines in the country and asked the Centre to put out district-wise data of those inoculated as state-wise data hides many facts

The Congress on Sunday claimed there is shortage of vaccines in the country and asked the Centre to put out district-wise data of those inoculated as state-wise data hides many facts.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took a swipe at the prime minister, alleging that he is arrogant.

"One there is a pandemic, on top of that the leader is arrogant," he said in a tweet in Hindi, while citing a media report quoting a top official of Covishield maker Serum Institute that WHO guidelines on vaccine sticks were not followed while announcing the vaccine.

Congress leader P Chidambaram said after Delhi suspended vaccination of 18-44 years age group because of shortage of vaccines, there is more bad news from Telangana.

"The Union Health Ministry should put out a daily statement of the number of vaccinations administered district-wise every day. The number for the whole State hides many alarming facts," he said on Twitter.

"Will the no shortage Harshvardhan please answer the facts emerging from Delhi and Telangana," he said.

The former union minister said no vaccines have been administered in 29 out of 33 districts of Telangana because there are no vaccines.

"The fact that the number of daily vaccinations is declining can only be attributed to the shortage of vaccines," he alleged, urging Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and sort out the issue.

The Centre says that there are 1.6 crore doses of vaccines available with the states, but several states including Karnataka and Delhi have stopped vaccinating the 18-44 age group citing shortage of vaccines, he said.

The Congress has been critical of the government's vaccination policy and slow pace of inoculation.