CHENNAI: Considering requests from private hospitals and availability of vaccines, the
Tamil Nadu health department has decided to provide
Covaxin in minimum doses to private hospitals. The vaccine would be given after obtaining a consent letter from the recipient, the Directorate of Public Health said on Wednesday.
The indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech has been offered in limited government centres until now. "Since many national and state leaders including Prime Minister Modi took the vaccine, some people are now asking for it. We don’t want to deny them the chance of getting a vaccine," said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
The state has received 27.8 lakh doses of
Covid-19 vaccine, including 2.77 lakh doses of Covaxin, from the Centre.
In a letter, the
DPH has asked deputy directors of health services to issue one vial (10 doses) to private hospitals upon their request. Health officials will ask private hospitals to use the vaccine with minimum wastage and to obtain consent forms from the individuals.
"A vial once opened has to be used within four hours. Those offering the vaccine should ensure that enough people are available to take the vaccine," director of public health Dr TS Selvavinayagam said.
District health officials could collect the database from the concerned private hospitals and send them to Bharat Biotech International Ltd and ICMR on a daily basis, it said.
There are 529 government vaccination centres and 769 private vaccination centres approved under government health insurance schemes, of which 616 private hospitals were willing to offer the vaccine to the elderly and people above 45 years with comorbid conditions.