Karnataka Govt Temporarily Suspends COVID-19 Vaccination Drive For 18-44 Age Group

Owing to the short supply of Covid vaccines, Karnataka on Wednesday (12 May) decided to 'temporarily suspend' vaccination drive for those aged between 18 to 44 years.

In a series of tweets, the Karnataka Health department said that the state government has decided that the vaccine procured directly by the state government for vaccination of persons between 18 to 44 years too will be utilised for vaccination of beneficiaries who are due for the second dose.

"Therefore, all vaccines available with the state government i.e. supplied by union government and procured directly by state will be utilized for vaccination of beneficiaries due for second dose," the Karnataka health department tweet explained.

The Health department added that vaccination drives for the 18 to 44 age group including those who have already booked appointments will be temporarily suspended from 14 May till further orders.

According to the health department, the state government on 7 May had decided to utilise the complete supply of vaccines provided by the union government for vaccination of persons above 45 years, for vaccinating beneficiaries who were due for second dose.

"But under the changed circumstances and severe shortage of vaccine, the vaccine procured directly by the state government for vaccination of persons between 18 to 44 years too will be utilised for vaccination of beneficiaries who are due for second dose," a senior health department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The health department added that this order will be applicable for Covid vaccination at all state-run Covid vaccination centres in the state.

As of now, only two vaccines manufactured by Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII) and Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech are allowed in India for mass inoculation programme, but these companies are struggling to meet the country's overwhelming demand for vaccines amid the ferocious second wave that has seen India's Covid burden go up manifold.

Karnataka symbolically launched anti-Covid vaccination drive on 1 May but ever since it has failed to take off due to short supply of vaccines. Karnataka Health minister, K Sudhkar was first to state on 30 April that it was better to put off the launch of the drive on 1 May as the state had not received required stock and this was even endorsed by Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa on that day. But, Yediyurappa the next day launched the vaccination drive symbolically on 1 May.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)