Ensure adequate availability of COVID-19 vaccines: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot to Centre

Jaipur, Apr 20: With the Centre deciding to open COVID-19 vaccination for all above 18 years from May, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the government should ensure adequate availability of vaccines.

State Health Minister Raghu Sharma said Rajasthan has vaccination stock for only two days and the Centre should ensure adequate supply. Gehlot said he was looking forward to a transparent vaccine distribution strategy.

"Finally the Central govt has relented & taken decision to allow everyone above 18 to be vaccinated. The Central govt should now ensure adequate availability of vaccines so that people above the age of 18 years can be vaccinated asap," he tweeted.

"We look forward to a rational & transparent strategy for vaccine distribution among states in the coming days," he added. Sharma said the government should ensure adequate supply of vaccines.

"Better late than never, but the question is how many beneficiaries are there across the country and what is the production capacity. There is no figure about it," he said. Sharma said that a total of 1.08 crore people have been administered vaccines in the state so far and there is no supply of adequate numbers of doses.

"Rajasthan is leading the vaccination programme in the country and we administer doses to 5.80 lakh beneficiaries in one day. We have a stock of vaccination for only two days," he said in a video message.

The health minister also targeted the Centre over oxygen supply, saying that against the requirement of 136 MT oxygen, the Centre has fixed a quota of 124 MT for Rajasthan and alleged that the supply is only 65 MT.

The Centre announced on Monday that everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1 and allowed states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers.

Under the third phase of the national vaccination drive commencing next month, the vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the central government and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to state governments and in the open market.