After the denial of vaccines by the Centre, the Telangana government has arranged five lakh Corbevax doses as precautionary doses for the people of the state.
The government said that in view of the increase in Covid-19 cases around the world, as well as in some states in India, it has arranged five lakh Corbevax doses “in spite of the acute shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in the country”, Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao said in a statement.
Corbevax can be administered as precautionary dose to those who have taken Covaxin or Covishield as first and second doses. Corbevax is approved by the regulators for heterologous administration.
“The state government has made all arrangements to ensure uninterrupted availability of Covid vaccines to all eligible citizens at all government Covid vaccination centres (PHCs/UPHCs). The public is requested to use this opportunity and ensure that left out and missing doses are taken. The vaccine shall be made available at all government PHCs/UPHCs from tomorrow (19 April) onwards,” said the DPH.
Also read: Explained: Kerala’s high number of Covid-19 positive cases
State promises to buy 15 lakh doses
The Telangana government, on 7 April, announced that its Health Department would purchase 15 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines from the open market.
As the cases of Covid-19 are increasing in the country, the state asked the Central government for more Covid-19 vaccines.
Upon denial of more stock, it decided to buy the vaccine directly from Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Biological E.
“It is clear that the Central government is neglecting the most important vaccination programme in the fight against Covid-19. On one hand, the Central government, which is alerting the states that the cases of Covid-19 are increasing, is neglecting the supply of vaccines,” the Telangana Health Department had said.
“With this, the Centre has taken their hand off from the supply of vaccine,” said Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao.
