Blaming distribution of “lower quantities” than other states in terms of per capita vaccine allocation as the reason for Tamil Nadu being placed below the national average vis-a-vis Covid vaccination, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday asked the Centre to allot 50 lakh vaccines doses every week to ensure the entire eligible population receives their jab by October.
The Chief Minister’s demand made to the Union Government in a letter that he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes amidst two key developments – the state vaccinating 45.34 eligible persons in just two Sundays by conducting special camps and a marginal increase in the daily Covid-19 cases.
While the number of fresh cases on September 18 stood at 1,653, the figure rose marginally on Sunday with as many as 1,697 persons testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Though the increase is marginal, sources in the Health Department said district administrations have been asked to monitor the situation closely and impose local restrictions if such a need arose.
The government had last month authorised district collectors to come out with their own local containment efforts and restrictions to keep the Covid-19 cases under check.
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In the letter, written a day after 16.43 lakh doses were administered in a single day on Sunday, Stalin said Tamil Nadu continues to be below the national average in many parameters of Covid vaccination, primarily due to the “inadequate pace” of vaccination in the first four months of the programme.
Informing the Prime Minister that the state has administered over one crore doses in the first 19 days of September, Tamil Nadu remains below the national average since the State continues to get much lower quantities than the other states in terms of per capita vaccine allocation.
“Unless the allocation is increased substantially, the State will always be below the national average for those indicators, let alone go above it,” Stalin told Modi while mentioning the steps his government took after assuming office in May.
Considering the capacity of the state and the uncovered eligible population, Stalin said Tamil Nadu has no option but to hold special camps at regular intervals in addition to daily vaccinations.
“Only this can help us to overcome the low vaccination numbers achieved in the first four months of the vaccination programme. In our estimation, the State is easily capable of utilizing 50 lakh vaccine doses every week,” Stalin said, adding that this will enable the state in vaccinating the uncovered eligible population by October 31, 2021, apart from administering the second dose to persons who are due to receive them.
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