COVID-hit Kerala figures low in Centre’s inoculation drive: Health experts

Many health experts have said that despite Kerala being one of the five worst-hit states by COVID, it has got the least priority in vaccine distribution by the Centre. Though the state cabinet has decided to purchase one crore doses of vaccines, it seems that the immediate requirement will not be addressed.

“Out of one crore, thirty lakh would be Covaxin from Bharat Biotech. The Centre has informed us that this is the maximum that they can provide. But all of it would be available only in June. The rest 70 lakh dozes of Covishield have to be purchased from the Serum Institute, but the Centre is yet to give us a concrete plan as to when the vaccine would be provided,” says Dr T M Thomas Issac, Kerala’s Finance Minister.

“The country needs 68 lakh dozes for providing vaccination to all above the age of 18. The current production is only 30 lakh dozes” says the Minister. The number of vaccination centres in Kerala has come down to 263. This was above 300 when the vaccination started in January.

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According to Dr Ramakumar, member of the State Planning Board, there are stark disparities in state-wise vaccination distribution. The vaccine allocation per case (allocation of vaccine based on the cumulative number of COVID cases) is the lowest in Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi (less than five per case) and highest in Gujarat and Rajasthan (more than 29 per case).

“Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi are the worst-hit states, yet they get the least priority in vaccination” says Ramakumar.

The status of vaccine allocation to states is no better if it is calculated against the total number of the targeted population (45 years and more). “The elderly population in states like Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu is far above the national average. But the vaccine allocation for these states is lower than that for Rajasthan and Gujarat,” says Ramakumar.

The vaccination process is suspended in Ernakulam, the worst affected district in Kerala, due to shortage. However, the District Collector said that 20,000 doses of the vaccine arrived and the drive would resume on Friday across 199 vaccination centres in the district.

Also read: States fight back on differential pricing for vaccines, say Centre passing buck

The ‘panic rush’ for vaccine is visible in many centres in Kerala which often causes ruckus between the health workers and the public. Massive crowds queued up at Jimmy George Indoor Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, one of the main vaccination centres in the city, and created unruly scenes as a few elderly people fell unconscious. Across the state, those who register come to the allotted centres and often go back without getting the shots.

The health department has given repeated instructions not to reach the centre before their allotted time. However, the vaccination resistance in the initial days has changed to panic rush for vaccination.

According to experts, the centre has no formula or policy on the sharing and distribution of vaccines in an equitable way. “The Government of India takes its own call on what to give to whom. When. I spoke to the officers in states, told me that there was no formula of sharing by the Centre for distributing vaccine to the states” says Dr Ramakumar.

As on April 28, Kerala has vaccinated 16.26 per cent of the population – over 59.4 lakh people have been given the first dose, according to the Directorate of Health Service.