Delhi doesn't have sufficient vaccine doses for 18-44 age group: Health minister

Hinting at delay in starting Covid-19 vaccination of those in the 18-44 age group in the national capital, the Delhi government on Thursday said it does not have sufficient doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the inoculation of those in the younger age bracket.

However, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that orders have been placed with manufacturers. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier announced that Covid-19 vaccination in the capital would be free.

"At present, we don't have vaccines. We have requested the companies to provide it...We will tell you in a day or two,” Jain told reporters.

Read | Delhi govt raises Covid-19 cases by 44,350, fatalities by 761 in revised cumulative data

He was responding to questions on whether the city government has enough vaccines and whether the vaccination drive would start for 18-44 age group from Saturday as allowed by the Centre.

Several states have indicated that it will not be starting the vaccination drive for 18-44 from May 1 citing shortage of vaccine doses.

Though orders have been placed, Jain said vaccine manufactures are yet to provide a schedule of supply. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the government had cleared a proposal to procure 1.34 crore vaccine doses.

Asked about the dip in number of testing from around one lakh to 75,000, he said it was due to the restricted movement of people due to the lockdown.

Referring the opposition's allegations about a big difference in data related to deaths compiled at crematoriums and that released by the Delhi government, Jain said it was not the time to play politics.

"They had raised the issue six months ago also. Everything was fine. Who has the right to hide the number of deaths? Everything is being done in a transparent manner in Delhi,” he added.

Delhi recorded 368 more Covid-19 deaths and 25,986 cases with a positivity rate of 31.76 per cent, according to the latest bulletin issued by the city health department.

This was the seventh day on the trot that Delhi had recorded over 300 deaths due to coronavirus.