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Centre’s policy hits vaccine drive

Restrictions on supply/sale of vaccines proving to be a hurdle for States

By Telangana Today

Updated On - 7 June 2021, 12:45 AM

Centre’s policy hits vaccine drive — A beneficiary being inoculated with a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a mega vaccination drive at Hitex Exhibition Ground. -Photo: ANI

Hyderabad: The Centre’s twisted policy on Covid-19 vaccination is proving to be a major obstacle for States which are facing severe shortage of vaccines. Even for States such as Telangana which has become a global vaccine manufacturing hub, there is severe shortage of vaccines and efforts to procure them directly from the vaccine manufacturers is proving to be a futile exercise.

The latest guidelines from the Centre on vaccine supply to the manufacturers, has literally squashed the hopes of the States altogether. The Union government has asked the manufacturers to supply 50 per cent of their production to it apart from allowing the latter to sell 25 per cent of their vaccines to private hospitals. The Centre asked the vaccine manufacturers to supply the remaining 25 per cent to all the States in the country. In addition, the vaccine manufacturing companies have prior commitments with their collaborators from abroad to supply vaccines to other countries.

Telangana has a population of about 1.45 crore who are aged above 45. Till June 5, the Union government supplied about 66.63 lakh doses to be administered to this age group where 65.75 lakh doses including second doses have been already administered. About 1.5 lakh persons aged above 45 years are getting vaccinated every day. Further, it also has been announced by the Centre that people aged between 18 and 45 years are also eligible for vaccination.

Considering the long wait before the Union government releases vaccine supplies, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao took an initiative and has placed orders for about 23.25 lakh vaccines till June 5, on behalf of the State government by allocating funds from the State Budget. However, the vaccine manufacturing companies supplied only 7.4 lakh doses citing the Union government’s restrictions which have become major hurdle for the State to invite global tenders as well.

As if this was not enough, the Union government’s failure to ensure timely supply of vaccines in adequate number to the State, has thrown another challenge at the Medical and Health Department. The officials are struggling to provide both the dosages of vaccines to each person within the prescribed period.

Surprisingly, the State government is being blamed for not vaccinating enough population without realising the twisted policies of the Union government. While it is being criticised by some political parties that private hospitals were purchasing the vaccines in larger number than the State government, it would be surprising to know that so far the private hospitals have vaccinated less than two lakh persons.

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