TN CM asks Union govt to send June's vaccine allotment in first week

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also wrote that the state has not received vaccines proportionate to its size, population and caseload.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday, June 2, requested the Union government to supply the state's quota of vaccines for June in the month's first week itself. In a letter to Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, he also said that the state has not received vaccines proportionate to its size, population and caseload, and requested that this be compensated by a special allocation of 50 lakh doses of vaccines under the Union government’s channel.

On Tuesday, June 1, the state received a consignment of about 4.20 lakh doses of Covishield vaccines for those above the age of 45 from the Union government. This was hours after the vaccination drive in Tamil Nadu was announced to be suspended from June 2 to June 5, as stocks were predicted to run out by June 1. The state government had expected to receive its consignment only on June 6. Thanking the Union Health Minister for the 4,20 lakh doses in his letter, CM Stalin, however, noted that "the above allotment is only commensurate with the broader increase at the national level and also Tamil Nadu government's request for a special allocation was still to be addressed".

A release from the state government on Monday noted that about 89,32,852 people had been given both Covishield and Covaxin shots, with about 12,85,159 in the 18-44 group and 32,23,935 in 45 to 60 years. In addition, 8,29,288 health care workers and 10,40,680 frontline workers have received the vaccine, along with 25,53,790 senior citizens.

Earlier on May 26, the CM had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in handing over the assets of the Integrated Vaccine Complex (IVC) in Chengalpattu to the state government on lease to help mass produce COVID-19 vaccines. According to the letter, the structure has been laying idle for want of funds. Stalin proposed that the assets of IVC be handed over to the government of Tamil Nadu on lease with full operational freedom, as it could help enhance India’s COVID-19 vaccine production capacity.

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