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BIG STORY APRIL 09, 2021 | The Indian Eye 4

covid-19: surging wave

india’s

vaccine crisis

india now has the highest number of daily cases in the world. The death rate is climbing

too. But the vaccine supply is faltering, leading to a tussle between some states and the

center. How is the Modi government planning to tackle this huge problem?

Our Bureau
New Delhi/Mumbai

ndia has a vaccine crisis. It
is huge and growing by the
Iday, if not hour. The coun-
try has been witnessing a mas-
sive surge in COVID-19 cases in
recent days and registered more
than 1.3 lakh new infections on
Thursday.
Amid surging COVID-19
infections, Shiv Sena MP Rahul
Ramesh Shewale on Thursday
wrote to Union Health Minister
Dr Harsh Vardhan requesting
him to give instruction to con-
cerned authorities to increase
vaccine doses for Maharashtra.
In the letter, Shewale said that
the state has 14 lakh doses of
Covishield and Covaxin vac-
cines left and cities like Pune and
Panvel had stopped vaccination
due to this shortage. “Mumbai Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at AIIMS in New Delhi. (ANI)
also has an impending crisis as
there were only 1.76 lakh doses Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, more COVID-19 vaccine dos- country over the last few weeks.
of Covidshield left till Tuesday,” Haryana, etc, have been given es after they reported that the “Only one lakh doses are
he wrote. more vaccines in comparison state has stock available for only available for today and the state
Addressing the Centre’s with population and COVID-19 two days. has only enough stocks for two
information that the required cases, “ he added, saying that As per a statement, officials days and there are about one
doses will be supplied by April Maharashtra has been given 7.5 informed that only one lakh crore people aged above 45
15, the Shiv Sena MP said that lakh dosages only. doses were available for the day years who still need to be vacci-
it will be too late by then as the Other states are making a and the state has enough stocks nated,” the statement said.
number of positive cases is in- similar demand. for two days, with about one Responding to this, the Chief
creasing by around 50,000 per Andhra Pradesh Chief Min- crore more people aged above Minister, during a review meet-
day in the state. “It is also learnt ister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy 45 years who still need to be vac- ing on COVID-19 vaccination
that the citing figures from latest on Thursday instructed officials cinated. This comes amid the in- control measures, instructed
release order of vaccines from of the state health department creasing number of COVID-19 the officials to talk to the central
centre states like Uttar Pradesh, to reach out to the Centre for cases being reported across the Continued on next page... >>

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