BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath has said that the available stock of the vaccine will be exhausted by the end of January. | Photo: File photo
The state has requested the Center to provide additional vaccine stocks to Karnataka as the demand for the booster shot may increase in the current situation, Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar said.
Addressing the press after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attended a video conference of health ministers of all States on Friday, December 23, Mr. Sudhakar said Karnataka now has a stock of around 10 lakh doses. “Since we have decided to hold special vaccination camps to increase the preventive dose coverage from the existing 22% to 50% by January, the current vaccine stock may not be enough,” he said.
Scarcity of Bengaluru
Meanwhile, there is a shortage of Covishield vaccine in BBMP health facilities. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, who admitted there is a shortage, said the available vaccine stock will run out by the end of January.
“90% of the people took Covishield in the first and second doses. We are submitting a proposal to the state government to get the Covishield vaccine soon and increase the availability of the booster dose,” he said.
Drilling on December 27th
Following the Union Health Ministry’s order, the State will conduct a dry infrastructure for COVID-19 on December 27 in all government hospitals. “That’s all the infrastructure we installed in the pre-Covid-19 era, including oxygen plants and oxygen generators, is ready to go,” he said.