According to a health services report, the state once had 34 lakh doses of Covaxin that would have passed by the end of January 2019. Thankfully, 14 lakh of these doses were recently consumed. However, according to officials, about 20 lakh vaccination centers still have trouble locating recipients.
Pune: If Covid-19 vaccine coverage is not accelerated, thousands of Covaxin doses may be wasted in the state, according to health officials.
According to a health services report, the state once had 34 lakh doses of Covaxin that would have expired by the end of January 2019. Thankfully, 14 lakh of these doses were recently consumed, but about 20 lakh vaccination centers still have trouble locating recipients. They added that a sizable portion of this stock might have to be destroyed unless coverage improves.
The statewide average for daily vaccination coverage has recently been around 15,000 people. Only 700 doses were administered on Sunday in Maharashtra, partly because many vaccination facilities were closed for the weekend. But on Saturday, last week, the state only recorded 13,000 doses.
According to the officials in charge of the vaccine drive, measures are being taken to ensure the stock is consumed before it expires. “We are aware that vaccination sites receive little traffic. We have requested that local governments change distribution routes to combat that. Simply put, inventory from low-traffic areas will be moved to locations that perform better, “said the director of state health services, Dr. Nitin Ambadekar.
Overall, 34 lakh doses of Covaxin and 27 lakh doses of Covishield were scheduled to run out by the beginning of 2023 and the end of this year, respectively. “Due to the free booster drive for adults, 25 lakh of the 27 lakh Covishield doses were consumed. There are still 20 lakh doses of Covaxin left, ” he said.
Citizens were urged to receive the Covid-19 vaccine by Dr. Ambadekar. “We cannot force people to get the COVID vaccine; it is voluntary. However, given that Covid is still very much present, people should ensure they are protected against severe illness, ” he said.
State immunizers have so far given nine crore first shots and more than seven crore second shots. Additionally, they have administered nearly 92 lakh booster shots. The Pune Metropolitan Region only reported 76 new Covid cases on Sunday with a casualty of one person passing away.
There are currently only 52 patients in hospitals in the PMR. Additionally, just over 400 people are isolated at home. Of the 76 cases on Sunday, 37 were reported in PMC areas. Pimpri Chinchwad health officials registered 28 new patients.
