Hyderabad: Covaxin catering to the needs of private centres ?

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based Pharma Company Bharat biotech is concentrating more on private sales instead of government after the private vaccination centres are allowed to procure vaccines on their own. Following the union government orders, the State government has recently instructed private vaccination centres to administer the vaccination to 18+ and ordered to procure vaccines directly from the manufacturers.

Presently the State government is receiving Covisheild developed by Serum Institute of India (SII) from the union government and administrating the same at State-run vaccination centres. The central government has stopped supplying Covaxin to the State after vaccinating front-line workers.

Thousands of the beneficiaries aged above 45 have also been administered Covaxin as the first dose and waited for a long time for the second dose. Recently the Telangana Health Department has closed the vaccination process temporarily for a week due to a lack of stock for the second dose. Almost 2.5 lakh beneficiaries are waiting for their second jab.

The interval between the first and second dose is four to six weeks. The second dose is continued after a week's break and the department is close to completing the target, but it is unable to meet the demand as the manufacturer has reduced the supply to the State Health Department. According to sources, profit is the reason behind reducing supply to the government. A pharma company is selling doses to private hospitals up to Rs 1,200 for doses and 400 to the State.

After private vaccination centres are permitted by the union government to purchase vaccines on their own, the company is producing sufficient doses of Covaxin but focusing on making a profit. The company is not responding to the officials and not providing stock unless the high authorities intervene.

Due to the shortfall of the Covaxin districts are suffering a lot, the beneficiaries who had Covaxin as their first Jab are worried and waiting for the second but there is no confirmation when they will get it. Authorities are requesting the chief secretary and health secretary to make the vaccine availability easy.

The vaccine developed by the Hyderabad based company is in demand and people preferring it over other vaccines the demand made Covaxin costly and being provided to private sectors instead of the government