No report of COVID-19 vaccine shortage has been received from states and Union Territories in the past two to three weeks and the present situation is "satisfactory", the government said on Thursday. Responding to a question at a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said states and Union Territories (UTs) have been asked to increase the pace of their vaccination drives.
"In the past two-three weeks no such report from any state has been received. We give daily reports of unutilised and balanced vaccine doses and in the past two-three weeks the balance unutilised vaccine doses quantity has not gone below 2.5 crore so we believe that the present situation is satisfactory," he said. "We have repeatedly told states and UTs that vaccination pace must be increased. We had a meeting with states on the matter just yesterday and results are also being seen that 80 lakh doses were administered in the last 24 hours and even today, 47 lakh doses were administered," Bhushan said.
On reports that second dose was missed by over three crore people, he said a range of periods have been given for people to take this dose. "We have given a range during which a person can get vaccinated. When you cross the outer limit of that range then it becomes absolutely imperative that prior to crossing that outer limit you are administered the second dose," he said. This fact must be clear, and at any given moment "there will be a certain number of people who have completed four weeks or 12 weeks, but on the next day, they must have got a vaccine dose", Bhushan said. "To interpret this fact by saying X' people have been missed will not be technically correct. Better way would be to ask for three or four consecutive dates to get a complete picture," he said.
.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Assembly Elections Live Updates here.
Comments
0 comment