NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has said that the stock of COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' in Delhi has exhausted as a result of which around 100 vaccination centres set up in 17 schools had to be shut till further notice. 

Speaking on an online press briefing, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech (BB) has refused to provide 'additional' vaccine doses to the Delhi government, a development that is likely to severely hamper the inoculation drive for people in the 18-44 age group.

Sisodia said that on May 7 the state government had requested BB to supply adequate quantities of Covaxin supplies so that the vaccination programme could be speeded up, however, they got a letter from BB saying, dispatches as per the directives of the concerned central government officials.

Sisodia showed the letter sent by BB at the briefing and said, "After we requested BB for dozes, the firm wrote to the principal secretary, health and family welfare saying that it cannot provide the Delhi government vaccines due to unavailability, under the instruction of government officials concerned. It means that the central government is controlling the supply of the vaccine."

Sisodia said that the Delhi government had given an order for procuring 1.34 crore vaccine doses for citizens between 18-44 years, including 67 lakh Covaxin doses. 

He appealed to the Centre to take cognisance of the shortage and increase the supply of vaccines to Delhi. "Due to scarcity of vaccines in Delhi, we have had to shut a hundred centres, this persistent shortage of vaccine may lead to further worsening of the crisis," he said.

Sisodia also reiterated what chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s had recently demanded from the central government that the formula of COVID-19 vaccines should be shared with various pharmaceutical companies in India to increase production.