Covid-19 in Maharashtra: Union Health Ministry refute claims of state facing vaccine shortage

A day after Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope revealed that the state is facing a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, the Union Health Ministry has now issued a clarification regarding the same and said that there is no shortage of coronavirus vaccines in Maharashtra as it has over 24 lakh unutilised doses of Covaxin available with it and an additional 6.35 lakh doses have been received today. 

According to the press release issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW), there have been some media reports alleging vaccine shortage in Maharashtra stating that due to lack of vaccines the state government is unable to increase the pace of vaccination in the state. Such reports are ill-informed and incorrect.

"It is clarified that, as per the reports available today, Maharashtra has over 24 lakh unutilized doses of Covaxin available with it and an additional 6.35 lakh doses have been received on Friday," Ministry said.

As per their weekly consumption data available on Co-WIN, the average consumption by Maharashtra for Covaxin to cover the eligible beneficiaries for 15-17 years and precaution dose is almost 2.94 lakh doses per day, the release read. Therefore, the state has adequate vaccine doses for about 10 days to cover the eligible beneficiaries with Covaxin, it added. 

As per the ministry, furthermore, for Covishield, the state has 1.24 crore unutilized and balance doses available as of date. With an average consumption of 3.57 lakhs per day, this will sustain for more than 30 days for the beneficiaries to be vaccinated using the vaccine.

Hence, the media reports are not factually correct and do not reflect the correct picture of the available stock of balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses with Maharashtra, the statement said.