Chennai, June 28(BPNS)
The Greater Chennai Corporation( GCC) has suspended its vaccination drive for June 28 following a shortage of vaccines. The GCC website on June 27 mentioned that there would not be any vaccination from June 28 and that the drive would commence once the vaccine arrives. However, sources in the GCC told BPNS that the vaccination drive would commence immediately as the stocks would be replenished soon.
A special vaccination drive planned for Advocates and staff of the Madras High Court on Monday which was to be inaugurated by the Chief Justice of Tamil Nadu, Justice Sanjib Banerjee would however take place as the Greater Chennai Corporation has provided necessary vaccines for this drive.
Senior officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation told BPNS that the corporation had utilized all the stock it received four days ago and that it would get a clear picture of the availability and replenishment of stocks by Monday itself.
The Chennai Corporation has been carrying out vaccination through 45 vaccination centres and 19 Urban community health centres. The GCC has been conduction special vaccine drives in markets and other crowded public places as part of its outreach programme.
It may be noted that the state of Tamil Nadu had faced an acute shortage of vaccines at the start of June but later the stocks arrived in large quantities and the situation improved. GCC itself had administered 39,366 vaccines on June 25 which was the second highest in Tamil Nadu in a single day since the vaccination drive commenced.
Sources in the Medical and Family Welfare department told IANS that there is a shortage in vaccines since Sunday and that there is a fall in vaccination across the state as the number of doses administered has come down from 3,72,618 doses on June 26 to a paltry 89,402 vaccine doses on June 27, Sunday.
The Medical and Family Welfare department however said that the vaccine shortage is temporary and the government has taken necessary steps for replenishment and that the drive would commence immediately.
