Tamil Nadu has cut down its wastage of Covid-19 vaccines significantly in a week’s time.

As on May 3, Tamil Nadu was number two among Indian States with vaccine wastage of 8.83 per cent. Lakshadweep had the highest wastage ratio at 9.76 per cent.

In the past one week, Tamil Nadu has reduced the wastage level and the ratio stands at 4.13 per cent now. Tamil Nadu has moved to the 9th position.

Hesitancy to get inoculated leads to vaccine wastage in Tamil Nadu

Haryana is the number one in terms of vaccine wastage with a ratio of 6.49 per cent, followed by Assam (5.92 per cent), Rajasthan (5.68 per cent), Meghalaya (5.67 per cent), Bihar (5.20 per cent), Manipur (5.19 per cent), Punjab (4.94 per cent), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (4.85 per cent), Tamil Nadu and Nagaland (3.36 per cent).

Vaccine stock position

Meanwhile, vaccine stock position has also improved in Tamil Nadu and it has the third highest balance stocks at 8.78 lakh doses after Uttar Pradesh (12.71 lakh doses) and Gujarat (10.41 lakh doses).

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However, the State is lagging behind not only in vaccinating the above 45 population, but also the 18-44 age group people.

Nine states — Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Kerala — are ahead of Tamil Nadu in administering higher vaccine doses to their people.

As of Monday (8 am), Tamil Nadu had received 76.43 lakh vaccine doses and consumed (including wastages) 67.65 lakh doses.

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Karnataka have consumed more than a crore vaccine doses (including wastages) so far.

In administering doses to 18-44 age group people too, Tamil Nadu is still lagging behind. So far, a little over 14,000 people have been given the first shots in the above age group.

The State needs to speed up vaccination for the age group of 18-44 also as an increasing number of people in that group have succumbed to Covid-19 in recent weeks.