People return home without jab as East Godavari is short of vaccines

Kakinada: While the government is highly propagating about the need to get vaccinated, the vaccination stock is not available even though people are ready and queuing up for receiving the vaccination doses. There is an acute shortage of Covaxin and Covishiled in the district.

Many people prefer to take Covaxin and are not inclined to take Covishiled as the latter causes certain side effects like headache, fever, body pains and other problems. According to the officials, 36,400 doses of Covaxin is required for a second dose in the district. Many people who want to take the first dose of the vaccine also are waiting for Covaxin.

There are large number of queues at vaccination centres in the district. They are highly frustrated in view of lack of vaccination doses People stand in the long queues for Covaxin, but ultimately get disappointed when they come to know about the shortage of Covaxin.

According to the sources, the Medical and Health department officials are facing dilemma in view of the non-availability of the vaccine. The issue has been intimated to the Collector and other higher officials. Owing to the non-availability of vaccines in government vaccination centres, people are compelled to go to private hospitals where they are charging heavily.

District Immunization Officer Dr Ch Bharata Lakshmi told 'The Hans India'that Covaxin falls short of 39,400 doses in the district.

However, the stock of Covishiled is available till April 24 evening. She said that they are waiting for the stock to be released by the government of AP. She said that so far 1,03,067 doses of Covaxin have been administered in the district. However there is a shortage of 36,996 doses in the district. The shortage increases day by day. She said that within two or three days, they will get the vaccine from Vijayawada.