The executive director of Pune-based Serum Institute of India, Suresh Jadhav on Friday alleged that the central government began inoculating people against COVID-19 from multiple age groups without taking into account available stock of vaccines and WHO guidelines, reports PTI. 

This statement comes as many states are facing an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and have halted the vaccination of people aged between 18-44 years due to that. 

Also read | DRDO unveils COVID-19 antibody testing kit; to be released in June

Earlier, 300 million people were to be delivered with vaccines, for which 600 million doses were necessary.  Jhadav said that the government opened vaccinations in spite of “knowing well that so much vaccine is not available”. “That is the greatest lesson we have learnt. We must take into account the availability of t product and then use it judiciously”, he added, reports PTI.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO) said that once the outbreak of coronavirus subsides in India, SII would have to “get back on track and catch up” with its commitments on deliveries of Covax, reports PTI.

Adhanom on Monday during a press briefing said that the uprise in COVID-19 cases across the globe had already caused a shortfall of vaccines by 190 million doses for the month, which has compromised the global supply. 

Also read | Novel coronavirus could be like common cold in future: Study

During a daily virtual press briefing on Monday, the World Health Organisation Director-General said that the surge in COVID-19 cases around the world has compromised the global vaccine supply and there is already a shortfall of 190 million doses to COVAX by the end of June.