The pace of Covid-19 vaccination in Assam has slowed down drastically. Even those arriving to take the scheduled second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in many private hospitals and clinics of the state could not take the dose amid the shortage of vaccines. The Health Department has devised a special strategy of completing the second dose before rolling out the first dose due to the delay in the arrival of fresh stock.

State Vaccination spokesperson Munindra Nath Ngatey said that `the first dose is being given wherever possible, but there is a guideline from the State Health Department that vaccination of the second dose should not be stopped. He categorically denied that there was any directive that there was any plan to stop the first dose until the vaccine stock was filled. He said that there is no guideline to take such a drastic step.

Johar Chaudhary, a resident of Doomduma, who arrived to receive the second dose on Tuesday, said he had to return without getting a vaccine dose, as the stock at the vaccination centre ran out. According to Johar, `he along with his wife took the 1st dose on 15th March. Today he went for our second dose, but the hospital staff has asked us to come next Monday due to the stock being over`.

In the last few days, huge crowds of people are gathering in government and private hospitals for corona vaccination, According to officials. On April 9, there was a dispute in Dibrugarh in Upper Assam that the district vaccination officer had allegedly asked private hospitals to stop the first dose of the vaccine. Dr Krishna Kemparai, Joint Director of Health Services said that a show-cause notice has been issued to the officer in this case.

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