No Covaxin For 18-44 From Today In Delhi, Limited Stocks Left For 45+

People under the age of 45 won't get shots of Covaxin from today with limited stocks left for the next four days, the government has said, urging the central government to ensure uninterrupted supplies. Stocks of the other coronavirus vaccine, Covishield, will last nine days, they said.

There are four days of Covaxin left for frontline workers and those above 45, The shots are essential for those who received the first dose around four weeks ago.

Battered by a vicious second wave of the coronavirus, Delhi entered a fourth week of lockdown on Monday, with tougher curbs such as the shutdown of the suburban rail network, while residents scrambled for scarce hospital beds and oxygen supplies.

The national capital reported 13,287 new coronavirus cases and 300 more fatalities on Wednesday, while the positivity rate came down to 17 per cent, the lowest in nearly a month but a dip that could be attributed to lower testing numbers.

India is in deep crisis in the current wave of COVID-19 infections with around 3.5 lakh cases and 4,000 deaths being reported daily. Hospitals and morgues are overflowing, medical staff is exhausted and oxygen and drugs are running short.

Many experts say the actual case tallies and deaths could be five to 10 times higher.

Despite being the global hub of vaccine manufacturing, India has managed to fully inoculate just 2.5 per cent of its population till Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been accused of not buying enough shots in time.

Faced with a public backlash for its handling of the pandemic and a bungled vaccination campaign, PM Modi and other top political leaders of his party have launched a drive to publicise the government's "positive" actions.