Keep Covaxin only as second dose for 18-44 age group: Delhi government to private hospitals

Delhi government has asked private hospitals and nursing homes to use Covaxin vaccine only to those people who are eligible for receiving second dose, amid shortage in the supply of Covaxin.

According to an order dated June 6, "All private hospitals and nursing homes functioning as COVID vaccination centres for Covaxin shall ensure that the doses shall be used to vaccinate only people of 18-44 age group, who are eligible for receiving the second dose during June”.

It asked the hospitals to “strictly reserve” vaccination for the purpose of second dose in respect of people of age group 18-44 years in the month of June.


The government said that an action will be taken against the defaulting persons, as per the provisions of section 51-60 of Disaster Management Act, 2005, section 188 of IPC, the Epidemic Act 1897 and other applicable laws.

Government vaccination centres have been facing a crunch in supplies of Covid-19 vaccines, specially Covaxin. According to the Delhi government vaccination bulletin on Sunday stock of Covaxin has exhausted at the vaccination centres in Delhi.

"We request the Centre to supply the vaccine. We will require as many Covaxin doses as we had a month before so we can vaccinate those who need it for the second dose," AAP MLA Atishi said on June 4.

The Delhi High Court had, on June 2, slammed the AAP government for starting the vaccination drive with "pomp and splendour" for 18-44 age group, and now struggling to ensure that people get both doses of Covaxin.

A total of 56,51,226 doses have been administered in Delhi so far among all age groups and a total of 12,84,000 people have been fully vaccinated.

AAP MLA, Atishi sstated on Sunday that it is the central government that decides how much vaccine should be given to which state and private hospitals and appealed to the central government that instead of giving the vaccine to private hospitals, the government should make it available to the Delhi government.