18-44 age group COVID-19 vaccination drive in Delhi likely to be temporarily stopped from Monday: AAP

In the last week, Delhi has already shut 235 of the 368 inoculation centres for 18-44 age group due to a shortage of vaccines, AAP MLA Atishi said.

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New Delhi: The Delhi government will have to temporarily stop the inoculation drive for the 18-44 age group from Monday, as it has almost run out of vaccines for this age group, AAP MLA Atishi said on Friday.

She said that in the last one week, Delhi has already shut 235 of the 368 inoculation centres for this category due to a shortage of vaccines.

"The remaining 133 sites will (also) be shut on Saturday, which means the inoculation drive for this age group will have to be stopped temporarily from Monday," she added.

Vaccination drive is not carried out in Delhi on Sundays.

Atishi said only 42,380 doses were left for the 18-44 category as on Friday morning.

The city has received 8.17 lakh vaccine doses for this age group so far, of which 7.75 lakh had been utilised by Friday morning, she said.

Separately, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also tweeted that "it is unfortunate that we have to close our centers, for 18+ age group, because of non-availability of vaccine".

Atishi said Delhi has so far received 45.94 lakh vaccine doses for healthcare workers, frontline staff and those aged above 45, of which 43.40 lakh have been administered.

"After Friday evening, the city will have less than one day of Covaxin stock and eight days of Covishield doses left for this category," she said.

The AAP MLA said 77,438 people received vaccine jabs on May 20.

The relatively lesser number of doses administered can be ascribed to the increased dose interval for Covishield vaccine and the city gradually running out stock for the 18-44 age group, Atishi said.

A total of 49.70 lakh doses have been administered in the capital since the inoculation drive began on January 16. Around 11.23 lakh people have got both the doses.

Healthcare workers, frontline staff and those aged above 45 are being given jabs at 661 centres, whereas beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group are being inoculated at 133 centres.