Chennai, Jun 28 (IANS): The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has suspended its vaccination drive for June 28 following shortage of vaccines. The GCC website on June 27 mentioned that there would not be any vaccination on June 28 and that the drive would resume once the vaccine arrives.

However, sources in the GCC told IANS that the vaccination drive would resume immediately as the stocks would be replenished soon.

A special vaccination drive for advocates and staff of the Madras High Court, which was to be inaugurated by the chief justice Sanjib Banerjee, would take place on Monday as the Greater Chennai Corporation provided the necessary vaccine doses.

Senior officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation told IANS that the corporation had utilized all its stock it received four days ago and that it would get a clear picture of the availability and replenishment of stocks by Monday itself.

The Chennai Corporation has been carrying out vaccination through 45 vaccination centres and 19 urban community health centres. The GCC has been conducting special vaccine drives in markets and other crowded public places as part of its outreach programme.

Tamil Nadu had faced an acute shortage of vaccines at the start of June but later the stocks arrived in large quantities and situation improved. The GCC itself had administered 39,366 vaccines on June 25 which was the second highest in Tamil Nadu in a single day since the vaccination drive began.

Sources in the medical and family welfare department told IANS that there is a shortage of vaccines since Sunday and that there is a fall in vaccination across the state as the number of doses administered has come down from 3,72,618 on June 26 to a paltry 89,402 vaccine doses on June 27, Sunday.

The medical and family welfare department, however, said that the vaccine shortage is temporary and the government has taken necessary steps for replenishment and that the drive would commence immediately.