COVID-19 Vaccine Shortage in West Bengal: Coronavirus Situation Might Turn Grim If Vaccine Supply Not Augmented in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee Writes to PM Narendra Modi

Kolkata, August 5: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing apprehension that the Covid situation might turn grim if the vaccine supply in the state is not augmented. She also alleged that the state is getting a "much lower number of doses" of vaccines despite having a very high population density, and urged him to ramp up the supply of vials.

The state would require around 14 crore doses of Covid vaccines to cover all the eligible people, she said. "Presently, we are administering four lakh doses per day and are capable of administer 11 lakh doses per day. Yet, we are getting much lower number of doses despite having a very high population density and a higher rate of urbanisation," Banerjee wrote in the letter. She also alleged that several letters sent to the PM on the same matter earlier have "not received due attention" at the Centre.

"I am sorry to say the central government is providing a larger number of vaccine doses to other states. I have no problem if any other state receives higher number of vaccine doses, but I cannot remain a mute spectator to see Bengal deprived," she said. UK Govt Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for Adolescents Aged 16 and 17 Years.

The CM claimed that the positivity rate of Covid-19 has come down to 1.57 per cent due to the state's sustained efforts. "So, my earnest appeal to you is to see that Bengal receives adequate vaccine doses as per its requirement," she said in the letter. Till Wednesday, over 3.09 crore people have been inoculated in Bengal, health department sources said.