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After Maha, Odisha & Jharkhand Run Out of Vaccines as Cases Surge

India on Thursday, 8 April, reported its highest-ever tally with 1,26,789 new COVID-19 cases.

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Shortly after the Maharashtra health minister wrote a letter to the Centre seeking more COVID-19 vaccine doses, pointing out that many vaccine centres are shutting down across the state owing to a paucity of jabs, health ministers of Odisha and Jharkhand have also drawn attention of a shortage of vaccines in their states.

These vaccine shortages come even as the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the country, with cases surging in distressing proportions.

India on Thursday, 8 April, reported its highest-ever tally with 1,26,789 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the the data shared by the Union Health Ministry.
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ODISHA

Pointing out that 700 of the 1,400 vaccination centres in the state have already been closed, Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said that if they do not get more vaccines from the Centre within two days they will have to stop vaccination in the state.

“It is very important to get vaccines from Centre. If we don’t get vaccine within these two days, then we will have to stop it (vaccination). Our 700 vaccination centres, out of the 1,400, have already closed. We hope we get the vaccines soon.”   
Odisha Health Minister, as per ANI   

He, further, explained the situation by saying: “Right now we have 5.34 lakh doses. We administer 2.5 lakh vaccines daily. So, our stock will last for two more days.”

“We've written to Centre to send us a minimum of 25 lakh vaccines for 10 days so that we can vaccinate properly. Vaccination is going on well here.”

JHARKHAND

Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta also appeared to have echoed his Odisha counterpart’s concerns, as he was quoted by ANI as saying:

“We have stock for the next 1-2 days.”

He also added, however, that he is hopeful that the Centre will provide the vaccines.

“We have made a request to the Union Home Minister and I am hopeful that he will provide the vaccines."

Further, Gupta informed that that around 83 lakh people need to get first and second doses of the vaccine.

“It means we will need around 1.60 crore doses. We are getting it gradually. We do have vaccines available with us but there has been a shortage at some locations. So, we have spoken to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan."

According to ANI, the state health minister also informed that about 18,27,800 first doses of the vaccines and 2,78,000 second doses have been given.

"Had requested the Union Health Minister to make available at least 10 lakh doses immediately. They are likely to arrive by tomorrow.”

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THE SITUATION IN MAHARASHTRA

Meanwhile, multiple vaccination centres across the state of Maharashtra have shut down due to a severe shortage of jabs, even as the densely populated state grapples with an aggressive surge of cases amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centre on Thursday, 8 April, increased the supply of vaccines to Maharashtra from 7 lakh doses to 17 lakh doses, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, adding that it is still inadequate for the requirements of the state.

The increase in doses from the Centre came after Tope had earlier accused it of “discrimination” against the state while other states with lesser population and cases were being given more vaccines.

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Topics:  odisha   Jharkhand   COVID-19 

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