Indian states run out of vaccine jabs
Several Indian states have run out of coronavirus vaccines a day before a planned widening of a nationwide inoculation drive, authorities said yesterday, as new infections surged to another daily record.
New cases in the past 24 hours stood at 386,452, while deaths jumped by 3,498, health ministry data show. Medical experts believe actual numbers may be five to 10 times greater than the official tally, however.
Since the end of February, India has added about 7.7 million cases pushing worldwide cases past 150 million, a Reuters tally showed. In contrast, it took nearly six months to add the previous 7.7 million cases.
According to a mathematical model of a team of scientists advising the government, cases may peak between May 3-5, a few days earlier than a previous estimate as the virus has spread faster than expected.
"Our belief is that by next week, the daily new cases nationwide would have peaked," M Vidyasagar, head of a government-appointed group of scientists modelling the trajectory of infections, told Reuters.
The group previously told senior government officials in a presentation on April 2 that cases would peak between May 5-10, said Vidyasagar.
The world's second-most populous nation is in deep crisis, with hospitals and morgues overwhelmed by the pandemic, medicines and oxygen in short supply and strict curbs on movement in the biggest cities.
Despite being the world's biggest producer of vaccines, India does not have enough stockpiles to keep up with the second deadly wave of infections, which deals a blow to its plans to vaccinate all adults, starting from today.
Only about 9% of a population of 1.4 billion have received a vaccine dose since January.
The original vaccination plan was to cover just 300 million of the highest-risk people by August, but India widened the target as infections flared.
However, its two vaccine producers were already struggling to increase capacity beyond 80 million doses a month, hit by a shortage of raw materials and a fire at the Serum Institute, the maker of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Inoculation centres in the financial capital of Mumbai will remain shut for three days from yesterday because of the vaccine shortage, authorities said.
Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged citizens not to show up at vaccination centres, as doses had not yet arrived.
In Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, the southern state's health minister said its vaccination drive for adults would not begin today.
"The state government has not received any information from companies about when they will be able to supply these vaccines," said the minister, K Sudhakar.
In a first such move in the country, the southern state of Telangana will conduct experimental delivery of Covid-19 vaccine using drone.
India's Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation have granted conditional exemption for drone deployment to the government of Telangana, an official statement said yesterday.
India's armed forces were granted emergency financial powers to augment their efforts in the battle against Covid-19, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said yesterday.
These new powers will help them operate facilities, procure equipment and resources, and perform any required urgent tasks, reports NDTV.
The West Bengal government yesterday announced a partial shutdown in the state. While shopping complexes, beauty parlours, cinema halls, sports facilities and spas will remain shut, markets will be allowed to function for only five hours every day.
WORLD SENDS AID
World aid has started arriving to help India combat what has been described as a humanitarian disaster.
The first US flight carrying oxygen cylinders, regulators, rapid diagnostic kits, N95 masks and pulse oximeters arrived yesterday, in the capital, New Delhi.
Shipments from other countries poured in, with a third one from Britain arrived yesterday, while Ireland and Romania also sent supplies on Thursday.
India's severe medical oxygen supply crisis is expected to ease by mid-May, a top industry executive told Reuters, with output rising by 25% and transport arrangements ready to meet a surge in demand.
Brazil on Thursday became the second country to pass 400,000 deaths after the United States, and experts warned the daily toll could remain high for several months due to slow vaccinations and loosening social restrictions.
Meanwhile, Pfizer/BioNTech, which co-developed a Covid jab, said they have asked European regulators to authorise their vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds -- a crucial step toward herd immunity.
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