HYDERABAD: Telangana, home to India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, remains the least vaccinated State in the country for a week now. According to data available from CoWIN, as many as 79 lakh people got vaccinated in the country between May 15 and 21, of which only 9,035 (0.12 per cent) were from Telangana.
In comparison, Nagaland - which is among the least vaccinated States in the country - has a population 20 times less than Telangana and administered over 13,000 doses between May 15 and 21. Whereas Uttar Pradesh, which is running a robust vaccine drive, vaccinated over 10.06 lakh people and Maharashtra 7.23 lakh.
With only 10.70 lakh people fully vaccinated, Telangana is also the least inoculated State in South India. So far, 23.18 lakh people have gotten fully vaccinated in Andhra Pradesh, 25.72 lakh in Karnataka, 19.52 lakh in Tamil Nadu and 20.19 lakh in Kerala.
According to doctors working at private hospitals in the city ,private hospitals in Hyderabad district are still offering stock of the second dose that is left on request to vulnerable groups. However, all 413 government vaccination centres remain closed.
According to sources in the Health Department, the stock for vaccines is available but is not being issued. “There is stock but there are no orders from the government to resume the drive,” a source told Express.
The vaccination drive remained consistent from May 15-21 in other South Indian States as governments reportedly administered 3.34 lakh doses in Kerala, 2.23 lakh in Tamil Nadu, 2.48 lakh in AP and 4.51 lakh in Karnataka.
Last week, the Telangana Director of Public Health and Family Welfare 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 the vaccine to persons above the age of 45.