"Need 50 Lakh Vaccine Doses, Got 5.5 Lakh": Kerala's Appeal To PM Modi

Last week Mr Vijayan issued another appeal, warning the centre Kerala would run out of vaccines in less than 72 hours, and that at least 50 lakh more doses were needed

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to highlight a severe shortfall in vaccine supply, and highlight financial constraints in the centre's proposal to allow states to buy some doses from manufacturers at a "pre-agreed price". Maximum vaccination is required to crush 2nd wave of #COVID19. Requested @PMOIndia to reconsider new policy on vaccine distribution so that availability is assured & no additional financial burden is incurred, enabling States to perform constitutional obligation in health sector. pic.twitter.com/sEE6dpGzpE Mr Vijayan said Kerala - which has over 1.03 lakh active cases and nearly 5,000 virus-linked deaths - received only 5.5 lakh of the 50 lakh doses it had requested, and with more and more new cases reported every day - had been "constrained to stop on-the-spot registration" at its vaccination centres. "... would like to bring to your notice that we had requested for 50 lakh doses to implement our vaccination plan. We have received only 5.5 lakh doses, due to which we have been constrained... affecting our effort to deal with the rapid surge," Mr Vijayan said in his letter. "I request you to allot the balance vaccine doses at the earliest," he added.