Karnataka: Covid cases rising in state but no vaccines stock at govt health centres

Covid cases are once again on the rise but public health centres in Karnataka have no vaccine stocks to offer booster shots to the vulnerable as the Centre has declined the state’s request for fresh doses.

The situation is no better in private hospitals as they have stopped procuring doses citing potential losses due to low uptake.

While the state saw just one Covid death in January, the number rose to 12 in March and averages one per day in April. When Covid cases surged in China last December, Karnataka conducted vaccination drives until February. Since then, there have been no stocks.

"We requested the Centre for one lakh Corbevax doses in the third week of March based on demand at the time. But in a meeting on April 7, the health ministry informed us that it wouldn’t supply the doses," T K Anil Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health Department, told DH.

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What this means is that Karnataka will now have to procure the vaccines directly from manufacturers. “We will decide on procurement next week based on costs, availability, etc,” Kumar added.

Virologist Dr Jacob John emphasised that a booster shot is critical for people with chronic lung or heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, those on immunosuppressants and the elderly. “This is the priority group but others should also take it,” he said.

The nodal officer for vaccination at the state-run Victoria Hospital said they occasionally get enquiries, especially from those who need a vaccine certificate to travel, but have to decline them.

DH’s search for vaccination centres on the CoWin portal on Saturday gave only two results — one in Bengaluru and another in Koppal. The other 29 districts had no private vaccination centres.

Most Bengaluru hospitals said they have stopped procuring as demand is low. A source at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre said they suffered a loss of Rs 15 lakh after Covaxin doses expired last month. "The doses expired as only around 10 people took the vaccine daily. Now we get enquiries from 5-6 people a day but we tell them it’s unavailable,” he adds.

Fortis Hospital said they get enquiries from around 20 people a week but wouldn't procure the vaccines.

Apollo, among the few hospitals that continued vaccination until recently, said around 10 people take the vaccine on weekdays and 25 on Saturdays. The hospital suffered losses as over 550 Covishield doses expired on April 7. However, it is trying to replace this to cater to those in need, said its vice president Dr Yatheesh Govidaiah.