States have struck deals with companies to procure doses but with no clarity on supply chain and delivery, inoculations likely to be delayed by at least a week to 10 days
Huge crowd for vaccination at BKC vaccination centre a day after the jumbo centre ran out of vaccine stock
India’s ambitious roll-out of vaccines for its young is in some serious jeopardy. And, in all likelihood, will miss its deadline. From May 1, some 60 percent of the population will be eligible for vaccinations, according to a plan announced by the Narendra Modi-led government on April 19. While that had been a deviation from the original plan, the need was amplified amidst one of the worst outbreaks of Covid-19 anywhere in the world, even as vaccine supplies were hit hard. India is currently the second worst affected Covid-19 country in the world, and over the past few weeks has recorded the highest cases in a day by any country. On April 30, a day before India plans to roll out vaccines for all, daily cases in the country surged to 3.86 lakh with nearly 4,000 deaths in a day. “Don’t queue up for vaccines tomorrow,” Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal pleaded on April 30. “As soon as vaccines arrive we will let you know, then you can come for shots. We appeal to you not to crowd vaccine centres in the next few days.” Delhi is currently amongst the worst affected states in India, where daily cases have spiked in the past few weeks, and hospital beds and oxygen have become unavailable even as crematoriums work non-stop. “Many across the country have registered for vaccines but we have not received stocks,” Kejriwal said. “We are in regular touch with companies and we hope to get the vaccines in a day or two.” Delhi isn’t the only state which has suggested a shift in its vaccination plan for the young. Many others, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, among others, have already said that the inoculation drives will not start from May 1. “Vaccination for 18-44 ages cannot begin on May 1,” Rajesh Tope, the health minister for Maharashtra, said on April 29. “We need at least 20 lakh doses, only then vaccination can be started." On April 19, as part of its new vaccine policy, the Centre devolved responsibility to the states and the private sector under a “liberalised and accelerated” Phase 3 strategy. This is a departure from the initial plan to vaccinate close to 30 crore health care and frontline workers starting January 16, before opening out the vaccine priority-wise, in phases, to senior citizens, persons with co-morbidities and then people above 45 years of age. The Centre has now directed states and private hospitals to procure fresh doses directly from vaccine manufacturers for people above 18 years of age, and reserve existing doses, which have been supplied by the Centre, for the priority groups. Under the new policy, vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 percent of their doses to the central government, and the remaining 50 percent to state governments and in the open market.