Vaccines in poor supply, 50% jab centres closed in Assam

GUWAHATI: Shortage of vaccines has forced the state government to reduce the number of operational vaccination centres by 50% from the 2,000 CVCs (Covid vaccination centres) earmarked for the mega inoculation drive on June 21.
Assam crossed the stipulated target of three lakh vaccinations on June 21, which boosted the morale of the health officials. They were keen to continue with the target per day throughout June and beyond. Health sources also told TOI that if the state can achieve three lakh vaccinations on three successive days, 'ample supply' of vaccines would continue. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was hopeful of administering at least one dose on each 18+ citizen in the state by August 15. However, considering the latest trend, uncertainty looms large over the immediate inoculation drive of the masses before the state gets hit by another possible third wave.
People in the districts are more vulnerable to the new variant in the current situation of vaccine crisis. Three districts have been put under total lockdown from Monday. Health department sources said that districts, irrespective of vulnerability to Covid infection, have faced curtailment in vaccine supply by 50% since June 21.
"In Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, the vaccination numbers have reduced from around 25,000, recorded at the start of the drive, to about 12,000 now. In other vulnerable districts like Cachar and Dibrugarh, the corresponding figure has declined from around 15,000 to 7,000," said a senior health department official.
While the expectation was more than three lakh vaccine supply daily from the government, on June 22, the supply crossed this mark when the state received 3.41 lakh (3,41,660) Covishield doses. Even on June 20, no vaccine consignment reached the state. But the state government managed to inoculate over three lakh people with previous stocks. On June 21, no vaccines arrived. But on June 23, Assam got 1,36,330 doses of Covishield and 29,730 Covaxin. The next day, 1.5 lakh Covishield doses reached the state.
Since June 25, the vaccine supply started shrinking further. No Covishield dose has been received by the state government during this period. On June 25, a total of 69,370 Covaxin doses were received, whereas the same supply was 52,030 on June 26. Though 91,080 Covaxin doses arrived in Assam on Sunday, no vaccine consignment reached the state as of Monday afternoon.
Officials in the state vaccination office expressed helplessness, as the state government is solely depending on the supply from the Centre. "Only 1,024 CVCs operated on Monday. This drastic reduction is due to the low vaccine availability," the official added.
The state health department may have to revise the vaccination plans due to the uneven supply of vaccines. As per the latest records, 69.20 lakh people of the state have been vaccinated in the state, out of which 57.17 lakh got the first shot. Only 12.03 lakh of the over two crore 18+ population of the state have got the second dose.
"Through 1.5 lakh daily vaccination, a significant proportion of the people could have been inoculated by September. But the health department cannot fix any target at this hour. Everything depends on the supply the previous day," the official added.