Day one of third phase: Only 35 ‘youngsters’ get the jab in Bengaluru!
Karnataka govt suspends jabs for 18-44 age group
CM says Karnataka has 1 lakh doses and Centre has sent 3-4 lakh doses
BENGALURU:
After all the heat and noise about vaccinations for the 18-44 years age group having to be delayed because the manufacturers had not made good on the ordered supplies, the Karnataka government observed the May 1 start of the third phase of the vaccination process with a token inoculation of just 35 persons in Bengaluru.
On Friday, the state government had announced that third phase of vaccinations would be delayed, but after some ‘prodding’ from the BJP high command, the government decided to ‘mark’ the start of the third phase.
On Saturday, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced that the state has a stock of 1 lakh doses while the Union government has sent 3-4 lakh doses. He added that the state government has also ordered 2 crore doses directly from the manufacturers.
In the presence of a few officials, the CM kickstarted the third phase of vaccination for the 18-44 years group at Bowring Hospital. The day’s tally — till evening, just 35 beneficiaries got the first dose of the vaccine.
The figure was confirmed by the health bulletin released by the state Health Department. “Phase 3 of the Covid-19 vaccination for 18-44 years symbolically launched in Bowring Hospital, Bengaluru. There is no separate column in the CoWin portal on the vaccine coverage of the 18-44 years age group. So, data was obtained manually from the BBMP war room,” the bulletin said.
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