Chennai: The state health minister M Subramanian said on Tuesday that the Tamil Nadu government is all set to begin vaccinating people in the age group of 18-44 in a phased manner on 20 May,
“Initially, the government will vaccinate those people aged between 18 years and 44 years from whom the coronavirus can spread much faster like auto-rickshaw drivers and factory workers,” he said.
Subramanian told reporters after inaugurating the “oxygen on wheels” initiative launched by Inner Wheel Club of Adyar, that Chief Minister M K Stalin will formally inaugurate the programme day on May 20.
As per his report, the government has granted Rs 46 crore to procure vaccines and so far nine lakh doses have arrived in the state.
When the vaccination drive was prolonged to include everybody above the age of 18 on 1 May, the state government had said they are not in a position to roll out the programme due to a shortage of doses.
As per the data provided by the Union ministry of health, Tamil Nadu has only vaccinated 38,710 people in the 18-44 group. As many as 64,60,624 beneficiaries in the age group across 36 states and union territories have received their first dose so far.
The state government has also drifted a global tender to obtain 3.5 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
The government has asked for a delivery schedule of 180 days progressively from the date of the purchase order for 3.5 crore (35 million) vaccines for ?2,00,00,000 (20 million). The last date for submission of tenders is 5 June at 11 am.
The Centre is providing vaccine doses to all states for vaccinating people above the age of 45 and the union government has now said that states should go in for buying vaccines to inoculate those in the 18-45 age group.
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