Covid 19 Update : Amidst rising Covid 19 cases, PMC lacks vaccine stock
Maharashtra reports 50 fresh COVID-19 cases, with nine identified as JN.1 infections, including two from Pune city.
Pune: As the number of new Covid cases surges in the Pune district, citizens who have not taken the vaccination or whose 2nd or booster dose is pending have started inquiring about the availability of vaccines in the city. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) currently has a total of 29 vaccination centres, but unfortunately, they are closed due to the unavailability of Covishield and Covaxin.
According to experts, the Omicron XBB.1.16 variant is spreading the most, and as a precautionary measure, citizens are asked to follow basic Covid protocols to avoid getting infected with the virus. However, vaccination is still considered the best defence against the virus, and the lack of vaccine availability has left citizens in distress.
Suryakant Devkar, chief immunization officer in Pune Municipal Corporation, has confirmed that currently, PMC is not having any stock of vaccines. The stock was available until 31st March, and once the stock is replenished, the vaccination process will resume for citizens.
The sudden unavailability of vaccines has caused a lot of inconvenience and anxiety among the citizens of Pune. People have been frantically trying to get vaccinated, but with the vaccination centres closed, their efforts are going in vain. The situation is especially concerning for those who are yet to receive their second or booster doses.
The government has been continuously appealing to people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. They have also been urging citizens to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and hand hygiene.
The PMC has assured the citizens that the vaccine stock will be replenished soon, and the vaccination drive will resume as soon as possible. However, until then, it is crucial that people continue to follow Covid protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.
