Indore (Madhya Pradesh): If the current pace of vaccination continues, Indore district may end up wasting most of the 1.1 lakh doses of vaccine lying in stock in the health department which are going to expire in the next two months. Thanks to a lack of enthusiasm among the people and the loss of zeal in health department officials, not more than a few hundred vaccine doses are being administered in the city in a day. For a change, the figure crossed 1,000 mark following the District Election Office making it mandatory for government employees roped into poll duty to get the jab.
Health department officials, however, claimed that they were trying to use the vaccine in the remaining time by boosting the vaccination drive in the city in the next two months. According to the records of the health department, as many as 4,650 doses of Covishield have an expiry date by next week (June 29), while over 38,000 doses will expire in July. Similarly, as many as 110,800 doses have an expiry date on August 6.
According to in-charge immunization officer Dr Tarun Gupta, they have over 1.75 lakh vaccine doses in stock, including about 60,000 doses of Covaxin, while the rest is Covishield. “Yes, some of the vaccine stock has a close expiry date, but we’re sure to get it used up before the same as the 4,000 doses expiring on June 29 will be used before the same as we are administering over 1,000 doses every day,” Dr Gupta said.
Dr Gupta added that the department is running a vaccination drive ‘Ghar Ghar Dastak’ to cover the population left without taking the precautionary dose, while it will also get a boost during the elections.
Only about 1,000 doses Wednesday
Even when cases of Covid-19 are fluctuating, the district administration and health department has not got the expected response to the vaccination drive. As in the previous vaccination drives, only a few thousand doses are being administered even when over 76 vaccination centres were prepared on Wednesday.
5.93 lakh doses have expiry by August
Not only in Indore district, but also most of about 5.93 lakh doses of vaccine will expire by August. The highest number of doses has an expiry date in Indore district followed by Barwani and Jhabua.
Expiring vaccine doses in Indore district
Date Doses
June 29 - 4,670
July 8 - 1,160
July 18 - 10,710
July 22 - 5,880
July 23 - 340
July 26 - 20,000
Aug 6 - 110,800
