Chennai, June 1 (IANS): As vaccine stocks in Tamil Nadu for all the beneficiary groups are running low, the state government has decided to halt the inoculation drive from Wednesday.

The next batch of 42.58 lakh vaccine doses are expected to reach the state between June 6 and 9, state's Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan said in a statement.

Radhakrishnan told IANS, "Centre had promised to double the state's allotment of vaccines to 42 lakh in June. This includes 25.8 lakh vaccines provided by the central government and 16.7 lakh doses of vaccine that the state can buy for people in the 18-44 age group. However, the jabs will reach the state only between June 6 and 9."

The state on Monday morning had less than 4.5 lakh doses of the vaccine, 2.1 lakh doses purchased by the state government for those in the age group of 18-44 and 2.5 lakh doses have been given by the Centre for people aged 45 and above as well as priority groups.

The statement said that by Monday evening 1.6 lakh people were vaccinated including 87,781 people in the age group of 18-44.

Only 1.3 lakh doses of the vaccine provided by the centre for those above the 45 and above age group was remaining in the state after 74,594 people in this age group was inoculated by Monday evening.