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BIG STORY APRIL 09, 2021 | The Indian Eye 5

>> Continued from previous page... equally effective even today,”
government and ensure that the he said.
required doses are made avail- India had started COVID-19
able in the State and administer vaccination drive on January 16
smooth conduct of vaccination with two vaccines -- Covishield
drive. (Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vac-
The Rajasthan govern- cine manufactured by Serum
ment too has written to the Institute of India) and Covaxin
Centre about the shortage of (manufactured by Bharat Bio-
COVID-19 vaccines and has tech Limited).
sought 30 lakh doses to contin- India commenced its second
ue with the inoculation drive. phase of the COVID-19 vacci-
In a letter to Prime Minister nation drive to inoculate people
Narendra Modi, Rajasthan above 60 years and those over
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot 45 with comorbidities against
has said: “The present stock of the coronavirus from March 1.
vaccines in Rajasthan will fin- The third phase began on
ish in the next two days.” Many April 1 for all above 45 years of age.
state governments have recently As over 35 lakh COVID-19
complained of vaccine shortage vaccine doses were adminis-
to the Union government and tered till 8 pm on Thursday,
have asked it to send more vac- informed the Union Health
cines to keep up the vaccination Ministry today, adding that the
drive. country’s cumulative count of
Also, Odisha Chief Min- vaccine doses administered has
ister Naveen Patnaik has said reached 9,40,96,689.
that the state has requested the According to the Union
Centre to ensure at least 10 days Health Ministry, as many as
stock of COVID-19 vaccines. 1,26,789 new cases were regis-
Patnaik took part in the meeting A medic injects COVID-19 vaccine to an elderly person at Gangamma Tem- tered across India in the last 24
on COVID-19 situation which ple premises, Padmanabha Nagar area in Bengaluru on Friday. (ANI) hours.
was chaired by Prime Minister Ten states including Ma-
Narendra Modi. The meeting Friday that the information on to improve the maximum man- harashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kar-
was held through video confer- vaccine shortage is not right. All ufacturing facility of the vaccine. nataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi,
encing. The Chief Minister said states are being provided with Meanwhile, the development of Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
the state is vaccinating 2.5 lakh an adequate number of vaccine new vaccines is also underway, Gujarat, Kerala and Pun-
persons every day and has the doses. “The information on vac- he added. jab have shown a rise in the
capability to increase it further. cine shortage is not right. All Modi also appealed to the COVID-19 daily new cases.
But a day after Maharash- states are being provided with youth of the country to help Now, questions are being
tra Health Minister Rajesh an adequate number of vaccine people above 45 to get vaccinat- raised about India’s vaccine
Tope said the state is facing a doses,” Shah said told reporters ed. “Our emphasis should now diplomacy as the country sent
COVID-19 vaccine crunch and in Kolkata. be on ‘test, track, treat, covid ap- millions of doses to other coun-
demanded 40 lakh doses every Meanwhile, Prime Minis- propriate behaviour and covid tries. Union Health Minister
week from the Centre, Mumbai ter Narendra Modi on Thurs- management.” Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday
Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Fri- day said that a major part of “We have crossed the mark informed that the country has,
day said Prime Minister Naren- COVID-19 management is to of vaccinating 40 lakh people in so far, exported 6.45 crores
dra Modi is serious and proac- prevent vaccine wastage and one day,” PM Modi said add- COVID-19 vaccine doses to as
tive about the state’s issues and appealed to the youth of the ing that the criteria set by the many as 84 countries.
accuses people under PM of not country to help people above world’s most developed nations Out of these doses, 1.05
taking this issue with same seri- 45 to get vaccinated. Speaking are no different to the ones set crores have been given as grants
ousness. with the chief ministers during by India. He said that there is to 44 countries, while 3.58
Maharashtra is among the a meeting to review the ongo- a need to impose micro-con- crores jabs to 25 countries have
ten states that have shown a rise ing COVID-19 situation, PM tainment zones in areas where been given under commercial
in the COVID daily new cases, Modi said, “We need to prior- Covid-19 cases are rising. He contracts and 1.82 crores to
said the Union Health Minis- itise what is available with us; further said that India has in the 39 countries through World
try on Friday. Maharashtra has we can’t put all vaccines at one past successfully brought down Health Organisation (WHO)’s
reported the highest daily new state because we need to man- the peak of Covid-19 cases and COVAX facility. He was speak-
cases at 56,286, it said. age the whole nation. A major it can be done again. ing at the 24th meeting of the
But the Centre has, how- part of COVID-19 manage- “The last time, we had high-level Group of Ministers
ever, refuted the claim of the ment is also to prevent vaccine brought active COVID cases (GoM) on COVID-19.
vaccine shortage. Union Home wastage.” The Prime Minister from 10 lakh to 1.25 lakh. The Now, the country is un-
Minister Amit Shah said on said the efforts are being made strategy that made it possible is Continued on next page... >>

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