As Karnataka on Wednesday became the latest state to suspend vaccination against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for 18-44 years due to lack of doses, Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda said on Thursday that it will take another 3-4 days to provide more doses to the state.
“In recent days, the production is not up to the expectations of the government. So, we could not provide vaccines. It will take another 3-4 days to provide more vaccines to Karnataka. Exact figures I can’t say,” Gowda, who is also the former chief minister of the state, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Wednesday’s order to suspend vaccination for 18-44 years comes at a time when Karnataka is clocking a high number of cases and deaths daily and is the second worst-hit state from the pandemic. On Wednesday, 39,998 new cases were recorded and 517 more people succumbed to Covid-19. The state has only managed to inoculate over 10.9 million beneficiaries out of the total population of 64.1 million.
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Gowda on Thursday admitted to the fact that certain vaccination centres in Karnataka are facing a “little bit of scarcity” regarding doses, adding that the allotment of vaccines will be made by the Centre on the basis of the production of the two manufacturing units.
News agency PTI reported on Wednesday that due to a crunch in supply of doses, eligible beneficiaries across the state were being asked to leave vaccination centres after standing in long queues for hours. Chief minister B S Yediyurappa held a meeting in this regard and instructed officials to resolve confusion on the availability of vaccine doses.
Also Read| Karnataka records nearly 40,000 new Covid-19 cases, 517 more deaths
The opposition Congress party, meanwhile, has accused the state government of not being able to supply vaccine doses and lashed out at its poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
