Vaccine stock to be utilised only for people above 45

Bengaluru: On May 8, health minister K Sudhakar said that the existing stock of Covishield and Covaxin in Karnataka will be used to innoculate those above 45 years of age.  This means that even though vaccination for people above 18 is open, they will not be able to get vaccinated at government facilities. Hospitals like Apollo and Manipal are conducting vaccinations for people above 18, but the slots are limited and get booked within a few minutes of opening.

On Saturday, Sudhakar said in a tweet, “70% of the available stock of Covishield will be utilised to vaccinate 45+ who are due for the 2nd dose and rest 30% will be used to vaccinate 45+ seeking 1st dose. Covaxin will be administered to only 45+ who are due for 2nd dose after 6 weeks of 1st dose.”

This statement is in commensurate with what the Union government said. On May 7, the government directed states to prioritize those due for their 2nd dose. The guidelines also said that only those above 45, and frontline and healthcare workers should be inoculated through the Government of India channel. Arti Abuja, Additional Secretary, Health, at the Covid -19 briefing said, “Utilize supplies of vaccine through government of India channel in 70:30 ratio for second dose and first dose respectively.

Similarly, Telangana also made a similar statement on May 7, saying it would prioritize those needing a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from May 8 to 15. It added that no one will be given the first dose of the vaccine between that period. The Telangana government has a stock of 3.75 lakh doses only. The Directory of Public Health (DPH) said, “In light of low allocation of vaccine till May 15 (4.69 lakh of Covishield and 2.16 lakh of Covaxin) and in order to optimally utilise the available doses, the special drive has been launched to cover people who are eligible for 2nd dose.”