Maharashtra, Karnataka suspend Covid-19 vaccination for 18-44 age group

A severe shortage of Covid-19 doses continues to plague the ongoing vaccination drive and is leading to a blame game between states and the Centre.

On Wednesday, while Maharashtra and Karnataka governments put on hold vaccination of people in the 18-45 age group owing to a shortage of doses, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Centre of blocking supplies to the state. 

Sisodia shared a letter from vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech to make his claim.

Vaccination for those above 18 years of age started on May 1. While the Centre provides doses for those above 45 years, states are responsible for procurement for those in the 18-45 bracket.

On Tuesday, Maharashtra had decided to divert the stock of Covaxin doses, which it had procured for 18-45 persons, to administer a second jab to 45 years-plus. A day later, the state Cabinet on the advice of an expert panel decided to temporarily put on hold the vaccination of people in the 18-45 age group.

Stocks of both Covaxin and Covishield doses purchased for those aged 18-45 will now be used to give a second dose to people above 45. “We are giving priority to the second dose of persons above 45 years and once enough doses are available we will restart vaccination for those above 18 years,” Maharashtra’s Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.

He said that Serum Institute of India will make available 150 million Covishield doses per month after May 20 for procurement by state and private hospitals.

In Karnataka, the state government said vaccination for 18-45 age group will be suspended from May 14 till further orders. This order will be applicable for vaccination at all government Covid vaccination centres, it added.

Meanwhile, Sisodia on Wednesday said Bharat Biotech has informed the Delhi government that it cannot provide “additional” Covaxin doses to the national capital.

Delhi has run out of Covaxin stock and as a result around 100 vaccination centres set up in 17 schools have been closed, he said.

“The Covaxin manufacturer has in a letter said that it cannot provide the Delhi government vaccines due to unavailability, under instruction of a government official concerned. It means that the central government is controlling supply of the vaccine,” Sisodia said.

The deputy CM said the Centre should stop export of vaccines and share the vaccine formulae of the two manufacturers with other companies for mass scale production.

He also requested the Union government to approve vaccines available in the international market for use in India, and direct states to vaccinate everyone within three months.

Bharat Biotech did not react to the Delhi government’s charges. Hours earlier, the company’s co-founder and joint managing director Suchitra Ella tweeted that it was disheartening to see state government complaints.

“Covaxin dispatched 10/5/21. 18 states have been covered though in small shipments. Quite disheartening to the teams to hear some states complaining about our intentions. 50 of our employees are off work due to Covid yet we continue to work under pandemic lockdowns for you,” she tweeted.

Delhi is among the 18 states which have received Covaxin doses. The company, however, did not disclose quantities shipped to each state.