Dose shortage may jeopardise vaccination drive in Ernakulam

Uncertainty prevails over availability of fresh doses

The ongoing COVID-19 mass vaccination drive in Ernakulam is in danger of grinding to a halt unless fresh doses of vaccines are received though there is hardly any information on when that will happen. Ernakulam, according to the authorities, topped the State in vaccination, having administered 7 lakh doses since the drive began. “While 6.10 lakh people received a single dose, the remaining 90,000 were administered both the doses,” said M.G. Sivadas, district nodal officer, COVID-19 vaccination. The district requires an estimated 16 lakh doses to administer both doses to cover all eligible people aged above 45 years. The district is pinning its hopes on the Centre honouring the State government’s demand for 50 lakh doses, which will be distributed across Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode regions.