Covid vaccination halts in many Maharashtra districts for want of stock, dose expiry

PUNE: The New Year has begun with a complete halt to Covid vaccination at government sites in many Maharashtra districts, including Kolhapur, due to non-availability of Covishield stock and a major chunk of Covaxin doses expiring on December 31 last year.

The poor vaccine reserves also explains why December's total vaccination uptake recorded only a marginal rise despite a sharp spike in demand after the Centre stepped up surveillance measures on December 22 in the wake of rising Covid cases globally.
The state administered 1.33 lakh doses in December 2022, a slight increase of only 23,000 doses from the previous month (November) when 1.10 lakh people had opted for the vaccine, mainly precautionary doses.
"Maharashtra reported a sharp rise in vaccination numbers for a short period post-December 22 last year after the Centre reinforced surveillance measures across the country in view of rising cases in some countries like China and Japan. But it started declining from January 1 owing to the severe crunch of Covishield doses and expiry of a substantial chunk of Covaxin doses on December 31 in some districts," said a senior state health official.
Around 37,000 doses of Covaxin available with the Kolhapur district administration expired on December 31. "Besides, there has been no stock of Covishield at government sites for the last many days. We have raised a demand for 20,000 doses of Covishield," said assistant district health officer Dr Sanjay Ranvir.
Amid a shortage of Covishield doses, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had been carrying out Covid immunization with available doses of Covaxin, but the stock at its disposal also lapsed expiry date on December 31. AMC's health official Dr Paras Mandlecha said, "Around 1,500 doses of Covaxin with us expired on December 31. We have raised the demand for Covishield doses."
State immunization officer Dr Sachin Desai said, "Not all the stock of Covaxin available with the state has expired. There are enough viable doses still available with the state. The expired doses will be replaced with a fresh stock. We are soon going to get a fresh stock of Covishield."