Public cry foul over not receiving second dose of Covid vaccines; Health officials cite technical glitches in Coimbatore

With many districts in Tamil Nadu already reeling from shortage of vaccine doses, people took to social media to complain that those above 45 years are unable to get their second dose of the vaccine. Coimbatore, along with many other districts, is facing acute shortage of both vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin - even though Health Department officials refuse to admit that there is a shortage.

According to these officials in the district, the situation was grim in the last few days but has now turned for the better since there are vaccines in hand for all those who need the vaccination.

But the story of a retired IT professional, a resident of IOB colony in Maruthamalai in Coimbatore paints a completely different picture. Speaking to SimpliCity, he opined that shortage of vaccines are pronounced in the Government Hospital in Kalveerampalayam, where he had registered for his second dose of the Covishield vaccine on April 27. Unable to get his vaccine on the designated date due to personal issues, he revealed that he was surprised to receive a message saying that he has been vaccinated with the second dose.

“I was surprised and shocked to receive a message saying that I had been administered the second dose of Covishield, though in reality I did not even go to the hospital due to personal reasons on that day." A dismayed L K Moorthy then went to the hospital in Kalveerampalayam to enquire but was told to tear off the certificate and be with it, vaccinated or not.

“I explained to them their mistake in relation to data entry, however, they were not willing to listen to me. The second dose of Covishield has now been scheduled for me on May 25, which is far too long a time interval between doses that have been stipulated by the Government. The prescribed time for the second dose for Covishield is between 4 to 8 weeks. I am risking myself by not taking the second dose within the stipulated time,” he lamented.

While this is fast becoming a common problem for many people in the district, even the date of the first dose administered to L K Moorthy is wrong on the certificate given to him. He had been administered the first dose of Covishield at SLM Home on March 1, but the vaccination certificate was dated March 4. Satisfied that he had at least got his first dose, he overlooked the mistake of dates assuming that it could be a delay in uploading the details. Yet the unavailability of his second dose has pushed him to complain, like many others.

The Tamil Nadu government has reportedly procured over 4 lakh vaccine doses - 2 lakhs of Covishield and Covaxin each, last Saturday. But the fact that people have been unable to receive their second doses paints a grim picture about the ground realities of vaccination drives.

It is reported that Tamil Nadu has ordered 1.50 crore vaccines in the first phase, since the vaccine for people above 18 years of age is set to commence from May 1. Health officials, when contacted to comment, refuse to accept the stated reports of shortage saying that vaccine doses could only have been delayed due to technical glitches which they assured were being rectified.