Poor turnout for Covid booster shots makes private hospitals wary of additional vaccine supply

Private hospitals are more peeved than relieved at Covid vaccine manufacturers’ assurance to provide them with additional doses in lieu of old stock purchased at a higher cost. Reason: Poor turnout for the precautionary dose.

This promise of additional doses is more of a liability than an asset, said hospitals that are already struggling to sell what they have. For example, the Manipal Hospital group-administered just 180 precautionary doses across its 12 branches in Karnataka on Sunday.

The Sparsh Hospital Group, which has already suffered a Rs 2.4-crore loss because of expired Covishield doses, did not have a single person turn up on Monday for its 11,000 unused Covaxin doses.

Also Read | Over 26,700 precaution doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered in 18-59 yrs group on 2nd day

Vaccination stopped

Apollo Hospital in Jayanagar had only 75 turn up for the precautionary dose on Sunday and Suguna Hospital stopped its vaccination drive on Monday as 20 of the 50 people who turned up at the hospital on Sunday asked for doses at the reduced price of Rs 386.25. The hospital stalled the drive despite having 600 Covaxin doses.

Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association President (PHANA) vice-president Dr Shobha Prakash said: “Though both the vaccine manufacturers have said they will give additional doses for the price difference, we don’t know when they will arrive. Out of 356 hospitals, at least 200 are actively participating in vaccination in the city. Apollo alone had 50,000 unused doses in Karnataka.”

Suguna Hospital Medical Director Dr Ravindra Ramaiah said: “At least 30 people took the vaccine at the old price of Rs 1,200 for Covaxin but we could not give the other 20 doses at the new price of Rs 386.25, so we stopped the drive”.

Also Read | WHO analysing two new Omicron sub-variants

“Our hospital should be given 1,800 additional doses to compensate for the price difference," he said.

Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh, Medical Superintendent, Apollo Hospital, Jayanagar, said while 13 took the Covaxin precautionary dose for Rs 1,410 per dose, 62 took Covishield for Rs 780 per dose.

“From Tuesday, we will administer precautionary doses at reduced prices. We are already sitting on 20,000 doses. How will we exhaust more doses?” he asked.

Watch the latest DH Videos here: