The vaccine shortage comes amid a deadly second wave of Covid
Delhi received over 60,000 Covaxin doses for those above 45 years, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi said Tuesday, adding that the city still has only two days of Covaxin stock for this age group. The Covishield doses for the same group can last up to four days, she said.
Around 10.75 lakh people have got both the doses in the national capital since the inoculation drive began on January 16.
The AAP leader said that 1.13 lakh beneficiaries received jabs on May 17.
"After Tuesday evening, the city will have only three days of Covishield stock left for the 18-44 age group. We appeal to the central government to make more vaccines available for this category immediately," she said, adding the city government might have to stop vaccination for them from next week.
The vaccine shortage comes amid a ferocious second wave of Covid that has left Delhi gasping for breath. While hospitals battled a crippling oxygen shortage, the social media was flooded with messages from distressed families looking for beds, drugs and oxygen for their loved ones.
Experts have repeatedly underscored that the vaccination programme has to be stepped up if the authorities wished to stem the virus transmission.
The shortage has generated much criticism, with even the Delhi High Court slamming the government's dialler tune message asking people to get vaccinated. On Thursday, the court questioned why the "irritating" message was being played when there was not enough vaccine.
(With agency inputs)