, administered just 74,015 doses; Kerala, with the third-highest active caseload (4.24 lakh), administered merely 771 doses.){kind=link}
Seven states account for almost a staggering 85% of all vaccine doses administered to those in the 18-44 group since that opened on May 1, data analysed by the Indian Express shows. It also shows that the pattern contradicts assurances given by the Centre to the Supreme Court that to ensure equity, it has worked with private manufacturers to factor in states’ population.
Of the 34.66 lakh doses administered from May 1-May 12 to those in the 18-44 age group (the cohort for which states have to procure from the open market), over 85% were administered in seven states: Maharashtra (6.25 lakh), Rajasthan (5.49 lakh), Delhi (4.71 lakh), Gujarat (3.86 lakh), Haryana (3.55 lakh), Bihar (3.02 lakh), and Uttar Pradesh (2.65 lakh).
Except for Delhi, these are six of the 13 states of concern flagged by the Centre that together account for 82.51% of India’s total active cases.
Karnataka, with the country’s highest active caseload (5.87 lakh), administered just 74,015 doses; Kerala, with the third-highest active caseload (4.24 lakh), administered merely 771 doses.
Andhra Pradesh, with the sixth-highest caseload (1.95 lakh), administered 1,133 doses; Tamil Nadu, with the seventh-highest case load (1.62 lakh), administered 22,326 doses; West Bengal with ninth-highest caseload (1.27 lakh) administered 12,751 doses; Chhattisgarh with tenth-highest cases load (1.21 lakh) administered just 1,026 doses.
For instance, Kerala is one of the best performers in terms of recording the lowest vaccine wastage and has administered an impressive 81.12 lakh doses. But it has administered merely 771 doses to 18-44 age group.
Telangana and Assam have similar population of over 3 crore. However, when it comes to the 18-44 group, while Assam has administered 1.31 lakh doses, Telangana has administered a dismal 500. Similarly Uttarakhand which has around 1 crore population, administered 50,968 doses; however, Punjab and Jharkhand which have population of around 3 crore administered just 5,469 and 94 doses respectively.