Need 45 lakh Covid vaccine doses in July to keep up pace: AAP MLA Atishi

NEW DELHI:  The AAP government has informed the Centre that the city needs 45 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines next month to keep up the current vaccination rate of 1.5 lakh jabs daily, AAP MLA Atishi said on Sunday.

“More than 45 lakh doses will be needed if the pace of vaccination increases,” the legislator said.  According to Delhi government’s vaccination bulletin, 25 per cent of the national capital’s population in the 18-44 age group has received at least one dose of vaccine. Ninety-two lakh people in this age group are eligible for vaccination in the city.

Atishi said the national capital administered a record 2.07 lakh vaccine doses on Saturday, of which more than 1.50 lakh were given to youths. Delhi has 7.06 lakh vaccine doses, including 5.4 lakh  SII-manufactured Covishield doses, available at present. If the authorities continue to vaccinate people at the current pace of 2 lakh daily, this vaccine stock will be over in three days, she said.

“We have written to the central government that Delhi needs 45 lakh vaccine doses to keep vaccinating people at the rate of 1.5 lakh jabs per day,” she said while presenting the government’s vaccination bulletin.

“We have been asking the central government to increase  vaccine supplies for the 18-44 age group because youths are eager to get vaccinated. They don’t come alone; they bring senior members of their families with them to vaccination centres,” Atishi said.

Delhi has so far administered over 73 lakh doses since the  inoculation exercise started on January 16. More than 17 lakh residents in the city have  received both doses of Covid vaccine.