New Delhi:
Delhi has limited vaccine doses for citizens between 18-44 years, which will only last for three more days, said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday, adding that the Delhi government may have to shut its centres if Centre is unable to provide adequate doses for this age group.
Addressing a digital press conference, the Deputy CM said in a letter addressed to the Delhi government, Central government has committed to distribute 3.83 lakh doses for 45+ age group, however the same provision has not been extended to 18-44 age group.
“This is a grave issue that requires immediate attention of the Central government. At the very least, they should match the doses for 45+ citizens and distribute 3.83 lakh doses for 18-44 age group as well,” he asserted.
Sisodia said, “I have written a letter to the Central Government today requesting their support on three key matters. First, to make vaccine doses available for citizens between 18-44 years, just like they have given us doses for citizens above 45 years. At the very least, Central Government should match the doses sent to us for 45+ citizens and direct 3.83 lakh doses for 18-44 age group, otherwise we will have to shut our centres for this age group in the next 4 days.”
“My second request is to make allocation data of vaccines transparent and open to the public. At present, Central Government takes responsibility of allocation 50% of vaccines and passes on the responsibility for the other 50% to State Governments. But there is no transparency in how this happens. Allocation data on how many vaccine doses have been administered to which state and for which age group, should be open to the public. We also need to know how many vaccine doses are being sent to private and government centres. Central Government should be transparent in its vaccine allocation data, just like it has increasingly shown transparency in oxygen allocation in every state.
“The third request pertains to communicating information on number of vaccine doses that will be administered to us in the months of June and July, just like how we have received information for the month of May. This will help us in planning our vaccination programme, so that we can make a streamlined system of how many centres will be equipped with vaccines and how centres will be managed,” he said.
Mentioning walk-in facility in vaccination centres for 45+ citizens, Sisodia said, “We began vaccination drive for 18-44 and 45+ citizens in a rapid manner and from today, we have started moving vaccination centres from Hospitals and Dispensaries to Delhi Government School with the introduction of ‘walk-in’ facility for citizens above 45 years. As of now, This programme is working successfully and we hope that we can expect support from Central Government on this.”
“As COVID-19 cases in Delhi are dwindling with a contraction in death rate and a reduction in hospital SOS calls, Delhi Government at the same time is extensively working on mass vaccination drive for all age groups in Delhi. Our main aim is to vaccinate all citizens in a swift manner so that all citizens in Delhi are vaccinated and secure from COVID. Our goal to vaccinate people is not with the idea to fill in data somewhere but with the objective to quickly vaccinate and secure our citizens from COVID. We are clear with our objectives however, there is a problem in supply of vaccines which we hope will be solved quickly,” he concluded.
