Inoculation of all adults will take another year at current rate of vaccine supply: Delhi health department

New Delhi: It will take another year to vaccinate all eligible beneficiaries aged above 18 in the national capital at "the present rate of COVID-19 vaccine supply," the health department has told the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Sunday (August 8).

At a DDMA meeting held on Friday, officials of the department gave a presentation on the city government's preparedness for a possible third wave of coronavirus and the status of COVID-19 vaccination.

Officials said around 1.5 crore beneficiaries are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the national capital and three crore doses are required to fully inoculate them.

More than one crore doses have been administered till August 5. More than 76 lakh people, which is more than 50 percent of the eligible beneficiaries, have got at least one dose.

Nearly two crore doses are still needed. The Centre has allocated 16.79 lakh doses to Delhi for August, according to news agency PTI.

At the present rate of vaccine supply, it will take till July/August 2022 to complete two-dose vaccination of all 18 years plus beneficiaries, the health department officials told DDMA.

They said around 45 lakh doses are required every month to complete the vaccination by December 2021.

In view of short supply of vaccine and a large number of beneficiaries due for the second dose, the Delhi Health Department recently issued orders asking district authorities to restrict 20 percent doses of Covishield and 40 percent doses of Covaxin for the first shot.

According to the Centre's CoWIN portal, 53.25 lakh doses have been administered to beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group. Over 33 lakh jabs have been given to people in the 45-60 years category.

According to the health department reports, Delhi can vaccinate around three lakh people daily.