Chennai, June 1(BPNS)

As the stock of vaccines are running low, the Tamil Nadu state government will halt the vaccination drive in the state from June 2 , Wednesday. The next batch of 42.58 lakh vaccine doses are expected to reach the state between June 6 and June 9.

This was announced by the state health secretary J Radhakrishnan by a statement on Monday night.

The health Secretary J Radhakrishnan while speaking to BPNS said, “ The Union government has promised to double the state’s allotment of vaccines to 42 lakh in June. This includes 25.8 lakh vaccines provided by the central government and 16.7 lakh doses of vaccine that the state can buy for people in the age group of 18-44. However, the vaccine will reach the state only between June 6 and June 9.”

-The state on Monday morning had less than 4.5 lakh doses of the vaccine, 2.1 lakh doses purchased by the state government for those in the age group of 18-44 and 2.5 lakh doses are given by the centre for people aged 45 and above and also for priority groups.

The statement from the health secretary’s office said that by Monday evening 1.6 lakh people were vaccinated including 87,781 people in the age group of 18-44. Only 1.3 lakh doses of the  vaccine provided by the centre for those above the 45 and above age group was remaining in the state after 74,594 people in this age group was inoculated by Monday evening.