Opposition MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh has expressed fears that those who have already received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will have to wait even longer for the second, which could hurt the target to protect as many people as possible from the disease.
Recently the Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, informed that the vaccination drive for 18-44s will have to be delayed due to a shortage in supply of jabs from the manufacturer.
Today, the East Shillong legislator, who has received the first dose, wondered if these shortages could extend to other categories, like those 45 years old and above.
“We don’t even know if those who have taken the first shot of the Covid vaccine will even get the second if this is the rate at which the government is working,” Lyngdoh told Highland Post. “What will happen if they tell us to wait for the second dose and what will happen to the herd immunity target?”
She also repeated a charge that many returnees to the state had bypassed the Covid-19 controls by dodging the testing centres and providing incorrect information to the Health Department. They were able to get away with this because of a shortage of manpower, Lyngdoh claimed, which necessitated staff working long hours with little rest.
Those returnees that did follow procedure have been kept waiting on their results and, out of frustration or otherwise, have broken quarantine before getting the all-clear, she added.
