Lack of Vaccine Supplies to Delay May 1 Roll-Out for 18-44 Age Group in Some States

New Delhi:  Delhi will not join the national level rollout of COVID-19 vaccination for people aged 18-44 years on May 1, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday saying that required vaccine doses have not been received yet for the drive.

He appealed to people in the targeted age group not to line up at vaccination centres in the city on May 1.

In the next one-two days, around three lakh Covishield vaccines will be received and the drive for vaccinating people in the age group 18-44 years will commence, Kejriwal said in an online briefing.

The third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive to inoculate people aged 18 years and above will roll out in the country on May 1. However, some states, such as Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, have said they would be unable to start the drive on day one due to the shortage of vaccines.

Kejriwal said his government has placed orders for supply of 67 lakh doses each of Covishield and Covaxin from manufacturers in three months.

Kejriwal, who had earlier appealed to the manufacturers to bring down prices of their vaccines, said the "Delhi government is prepared to bear the financial costs of the doses it has ordered”.

Delhi government has also demanded a schedule from both the companies, specifying the days when they supply the vaccines within three months’ period.

“We are trying our best that within the next three months the entire population of Delhi gets vaccinated. We have formulated a plan and even the infrastructure needed for this is in place. Now it will depend on the two companies as to how swiftly they provide us with the vaccine,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.

MVA Govt to Take Back Vaccines from Pvt Hospitals

Mumbai:  The Maharashtra government on Friday announced that it would take back COVID-19 vaccines from private hospitals and administer these doses to people through state-run health centres only.

State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the government has decided to do so it as per the Centre's orders.

"The Maharashtra government is going to take back the vaccines given to private hospitals for the inoculation drive as per the Centre's orders. These vaccine doses will then be administered to beneficiaries through state-run hospitals and centres only," he said.

Talking about the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group that is supposed to start from May 1 as per the Central government's instructions, Tope said, "We need to reduce the number of vaccination centres so that it can offer the doses smoothly on daily basis."

"We have been told by the vaccine makers that up to 18 lakh vials could be supplied to Maharashtra in the month of May. In such situation, the state is planning to set up one centre per district to inoculate people against COVID-19," he said.

"Unless we get adequate supply of vaccines, we cannot increase the coverage of population. A detailed statement about it will be made by the chief minister," Tope said.

Vaccines not yet Arrived: Karnataka Health Minister

Bengaluru: Vaccination of people above 18 years of age, which was supposed to start from May 1, may be delayed as the vaccines have not yet arrived, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Friday.

"It is not possible for us to start vaccinating people from 18 years to 45 year from tomorrow. Please don't take it otherwise. The moment we get official information, we will let you know," Sudhakar told reporters.

He was reacting to the Government of India's direction to allow vaccinating people above 18 year from May 1.

"We have made orders to Serum Institute in Pune for over one crore doses but the official news is that they are still not prepared to give it to us from tomorrow as scheduled," the Minister told reporters here.

He asked people who have enrolled themselves on the Cowin portal for inoculation to refrain from going to vaccination centres on May 1.

The Minister said the government will intimate eligible people after confirmation from Serum Institute of India about the arrival of vaccines.

"We have already paid Rs 400 crore to purchase one crore doses of Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute  of India in Pune," the Minister said.

Not Enough Supply of Doses: MP Chief Minister

Bhopal: The vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group would not start on May 1 in Madhya Pradesh as the manufacturers cannot supply enough vaccine doses in time, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.

The ongoing vaccination of people in the above-45 category will continue, he added.

"On contacting the manufacturers of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines we learnt that they are unable to give us doses for those above 18 years of age on May 1.

"So the drive covering the young people won't start on May 1," Chouhan said in a video message at night.

"Hopefully we will be getting vaccine doses around May 3. After that we will give the final shape to the drive for the young people," he added.

The state government has already placed orders with Covishield maker Serum Institute of India and Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech, he said.

Vaccines in J&K May Arrive by May 20: Administration

Srinagar: Amid a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday said the third phase of the inoculation drive that will cover people in the 18-45 age group will not begin from May 1 in the Union territory.

The new date will be announced once vaccine supply is established, it said.

Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo said the Union territory expects to receive vaccines by May 20.

"While the registration for vaccination of eligible persons in the age group 18-45 has been opened on COWIN, the actual vaccination will not begin from 1 May 2021. It will begin from a date to be announced later once the vaccine supply is established," the Department of Information and Public Relations said on Twitter.

It said those eligible will not be allowed to walk in for vaccination and will have to pre-register for it.

The administration, however, said that the vaccination of those over 45 years will continue normally.

It said the union territory has ordered 1.24 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine, among the highest in the country, to cover the entire population in the 18-45 age group.