Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh seek nod to start phase-3 Covid vaccination in Feb

At least three states, staring at a vaccine stockpile with April-May expiry dates and low uptake figures, have sought Centre’s nod to start vaccination of population above the age of 50 within this month.

Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh, ET has gathered, have asked the health ministry if they could initiate the third phase of the vaccination drive and if possible, include more vulnerable groups of population.

"We have sought the health ministry’s permission to initiate vaccination of the next phase in advance. For the last 15 days, our test positivity has increased to 2% and case fatality rate is still high. Since our state is facing vaccine hesitancy among healthcare and frontline workers, we have sought the health ministry’s permission to move to the most vulnerable population group – the elderly population," Punjab principal secretary (health) Hussan Lal told ET.


Punjab has one of the poorest vaccination coverage with only 36.42% healthcare workers taking the first dose of Covishield until February 16. The state raised this issue with health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on February 9.

Punjab has also sought permission to include political leadership in the next priority group.

Building Confidence
“If political leaders take the vaccine, it will build confidence among people. At the same time, it would help in breaking the transmission as leaders meet a lot of people and are vulnerable themselves and can also spread the virus. Including political leadership in the next priority group would help,” said Lal.

Tamil Nadu government has also sought permission to expedite inoculation of age group of 50 years and above. According to sources, Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan has cited vaccine wastage to expedite the next phase. Like Punjab, the southern state has registered poor vaccine uptake with only 37.28% of healthcare workers administered the first dose.

According to sources, both states are holding on to over 50% of Covishield doses supplied to them. The first tranche of vaccines supplied has an expiration date of April 29. The second has an expiration of May.

Chhattisgarh has also flagged the same issue of increasing stockpile and vaccine wastage. Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo said: “We are trying to curb vaccine wastage. At one time if there are just 2-3 people at a centre, we ask them to wait so that the vaccine is not wasted.” Though vaccination has picked up in Chhattisgarh after three weeks, the state has sought Centre’s permission to expedite Phase-3 of inoculation.