HYDERABAD: Telangana government stopped vaccinating people since May 15, however, corporate hospitals in the city including Yashoda and Apollo, are still providing vaccine shots. As many as 12,336 people received the vaccine doses at the corporate hospitals in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal- Malkagiri, after May 15, suggests district-wise vaccination data on of ficial CoWin dashboard. Although the State government has not started administering vaccine for people under 45 years, as many as 76 people between the age group of 18 and 44 years were vaccinated in these corporate hospitals.
Around 8,778 people vaccinated at corporate hospitals between May 15 and 23, were between the age group of 44 and 60 years. Telangana is the only State in the country that has stopped vaccination drive for such a long period amid the second wave of Covid. All the 373 public vaccination centres across the State are closed. Telangana is also the least vaccinated State in South India, with just a little over 10 lakh being fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, no arrangements have been made at primary healthcare centres (PHCs) for resuming the vaccination drive from Monday. “We stopped receiving stock after May 13. All the leftover doses were used on May 14. We have not received any direction from Health Department to prepare for the next round of vaccination drive,” said a government healthcare worker.
Nine days ago, the Director of Public Health cited the inadequate stock of Covaxin and non-receipt of fresh stocks from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and postponed administering second doses of Covid-19 vaccines to those above 45 years. Ironically, Covaxin has been administered to only 7.97 lakh people in Telangana whereas, Covidshied has been given to 48.4 lakh people, who are still awaiting the second shot.