Health Ministry says no shortage of COVID vaccines in India

India on Saturday (April 3) registered nearly 90,000 new cases and 714 deaths due to the infection in the past 24 hours as the second wave of COVID majorly hit 11 states of the country. And even as the number of the vaccinated people reached 7.3 crore, there were reports of vaccine shortage.

The health ministry has tweeted a short video in which Dr NK Arora, chair, Operations Research Group, National Task Force ICMR Delhi and advisor to national AEFI committee, dispelled doubts over the vaccine shortage.

“There has been no shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in our country and there is no possibility of the shortage in future too,” Arora said, adding the Co-WIN portal will ensure no state runs out of vaccine stock.

“Conversations are rife with rumours about shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in India. Watch this video to clarify your doubts, and put an end to such rumour-mongering,” the ministry said.

From April 1, the largest vaccination drive opened for people above the age of 45 years. According to the health ministry data, the country crossed the 7.3 crore mark of administering COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Media reports said that in Coimbatore, many people were sent back and camps were restricted due to “acute shortage of vaccines.” Reports quoting district officials said on April 1, the district had only 200 doses of Covaxin.

The vaccine, reports said, were restricted for those coming for the second dose. The district reportedly cancelled camps at primary health centres. Many PHCs in rural and urban areas directed people to medical college hospitals for the shot.

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