Youngsters want to get vaccinated, but Centre has not sent any vaccines for them for past 10 days: Atishi

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party senior leader and MLA Atishi issued the Delhi government’s daily vaccination bulletin, where she said that on 2nd June, 37,793 people were vaccinated in Delhi. Of these, 29,735 got their first dose, and 8,058 got their second dose. She stated that since on Wednesdays, Delhi government dispensaries carry out immunization for children, and not COVID immunization, the vaccination numbers have been less for the past few days. 

She also said that among the 45 and above population in Delhi, 50% of people have been vaccinated, but this number stands at a mere 10-12% for the 18-44 category. The Kalkaji MLA on Wednesday demanded to know the nexus between private hospitals and the BJP-led Central Government, which is giving vaccines to private hospitals, but not the Delhi Government, which was vaccinating people for free.

Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA Atishi said, “Yesterday on 2nd June a total vaccination of 37,793 people in Delhi had been carried out. Of these, 29,735 were administered with the first dose, and 8,058 were administered with their second dose. On Wednesdays, the Covid immunization process is not carried out in our government dispensaries, and instead, the routine immunization for the children is carried. Due to this, the vaccination numbers have been less in the past few days. 
Vaccination numbers are continuously low because the vaccines are unavailable for the youth. If we are to look at those who are above the age of 45 years, then already 50% people have gotten vaccinated, but only 10-12% of the youth has been vaccinated.” 

She said, “These are the youngsters who want to get vaccinated but till now in the past 10 days and more, the Central Government has not sent any vaccines for the youth. If the youngsters want to get vaccinated today, they have only one option, which is to go to private hospitals to get administered vaccines at an exorbitant price. Those vaccines are administered for Rs.800/ Rs.900/ Rs.1,000/ Rs.1,250/ Rs.1,400 by private hospitals."

"This is still a very big question that the Delhi government is not getting vaccines to be administered for free, but private hospitals are being given ample vaccines to be administered at exorbitant costs. What kind of a nexus this is of the private hospitals and the BJP-led Central Government that they are giving vaccines to private hospitals, but not the Delhi Government, which was vaccinating people for free, and which has been completely over since the past 10 days and more and are even not being sent for the next one week,” she further added. 

Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA Atishi said, “This is a matter of great concern for Delhi because we observed in the last wave that the Coronavirus had some serious effects on the youngsters. If we are to look at the stock position then there are no vaccines available for the youth – neither Covaxin nor Covishield. To look at the situation of those above 45, yesterday the Delhi government received 2.25 lakh doses of Covishield, which makes the vaccination stock for 45+ come to about 6,25,660 out of which around 6 lakh doses are of Covishield and around 23,000 doses are of Covaxin."

"The doses of Covaxin are only being used as the second dose and first-time vaccination is also being carried out by Covishield. We have Covaxin available for the next 1-2 days and we have 29 days of Covishield doses available,” she added. 

She said, “It is our appeal to the Central Government that we do have the vaccines for those above 45 years and we are vaccinating the 45+ but now it is our appeal that they should send the vaccines for the youngsters too. The youth is such a segment that is very enthusiastic about getting vaccinated, they are such a segment where there is no vaccine hesitancy. The youth is such a segment that come themselves to get vaccinated and along with themselves, they get the other members of their family too."

"If we are to increase the rate of vaccination then we will have to vaccinate the youth because the youth of the country is aware, they are not hesitant about the vaccine and the youth of the country wants to get vaccinated. So, it is our appeal to the Central government that we have the vaccines for 45 + for the next 29 days, we need vaccines for the youth and the youth of Delhi want vaccination for free. So, it is our request to the Central government that instead of sending the vaccines to the private hospitals, they make the vaccines available to the Delhi government,” she added.