COVID-19 vaccination for 18-44 age group to be halted in Delhi from today, says CM Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that COVID-19 vaccination for the 18-44 age group will be halted from today in the national capital as the vaccine stock for the category has been consumed.

Addressing a press conference, he said that Delhi is undergoing a severe vaccine shortage and alleged that the Central government has reduced the vaccine quota of the national capital. "Vaccination of the young population is halted from today because the doses that Centre has given us is over so the vaccination centres for young population will be closed. Few doses are remaining which will be sent to some centres, which will be over by today evening. So from tomorrow, all vaccination centres will be closed," he added.

Kejriwal informed that he has written a letter to the Central government demanding more vaccines. "I have written a letter to the Centre demanding more vaccines and when we will receive vaccines, these centres will resume vaccination drive. Delhi needs 60 lakh doses of vaccine per month, in spite of that, in May, we got 16 lakh doses and, in June, they reduced our quota further, the letter they sent us said that they will only give 8 lakh doses to us in June," he said.

"To provide vaccines to all adults we need 2.5 crores more doses of vaccines, if we get only 8 lakh doses of vaccines per month, it will take 30 months to complete the vaccination of adults. Then I do not how many more people will die," he added.

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Citing mass vaccination is only the way to move forward, the Chief Minister said the Central government should ask all interested companies to start manufacturing vaccines as Bharat Biotech company is willing to share their formula with other companies. "Right now, the state governments in India are fighting to get vaccines from foreign manufactures. The Government of India should talk to these companies as they will take the Central Government much more seriously," he said.

"All foreign vaccine manufacturers should be allowed to manufacture vaccines in India," he added. The national capital only recorded 2,200 COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the Chief Minister said. "Delhi only recorded 2,200 COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the positivity rate is only at 3.5 per cent. The danger is not over yet," said Kejriwal.

According to Union Health Ministry Delhi has 40,214 active COVID-19 cases. The total number of recoveries has reached 13,47,157 and fatalities have mounted to 22,579.