Anxiety over the second vaccine dose continues for quite a few people who had arrived at the Government COVID Vaccination Centres (GCVCs) on Monday hoping to get the jab, but had to return home disappointed. An announcement on the vaccination drive being postponed was made late on Sunday night, catching them unawares.
A few families that had reached Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital on Monday for the jab enquired with the staff there if the vaccine would be given, but did not get a proper response. They were forced to return home without taking the vaccine.
“Such incidents were reported in other GCVCs too. The staff there explained the reasons for the postponement. A few argued and questioned how many times must they visit the vaccination centres,” sources in the department said.
Apart from the GCVCs, the vaccination came to halt at a few corporate hospitals, too, which had been given Covaxin stocks. Till Monday evening, there was no official communication about the date from which the second dose drive will be resumed.
The Health department did not conduct the second dose vaccination drive on Saturday and Sunday, and therefore, people had pinned their hopes on getting the shot on Monday. However, on Sunday night, Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao announced that the COVID-19 second dose vaccination drive for people above 45 years of age has been postponed.
“In view of inadequate stock of Covaxin and non-receipt of fresh stocks from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the second dose drive for persons above 45 years of age is postponed. Details regarding resumption of the vaccination drive will be made available subsequently,” he said in a statement.
Incomplete info
Those who went through the announcement had a question in mind — would Covishield be offered at the GCVCs on Monday? In fact, till early morning, Health department staff were also not certain if Covishield jabs would be administered.
Asked if the dose of Covishield would be offered on Monday to people who have completed the 12-week interval since the first jab, senior officials from the Health department had, on Sunday night, said: “No vaccination programme in the State. No eligible beneficiaries for Covishield”.
