Click to play videoMumbai: The Maharashtra government decided to return 27 per cent of the swine flu vaccine stock provided by the Central government as the state health workers are reluctant to get vaccinated. With more than 2,000 registered swine flu cases since August, Maharashtra is one of India's worst-hit states.
"We have returned back about 7,300 doses to the Government of India. We are utilizing the remaining swine flu vaccine doses, says Directorate of Health Services Dr DS Dakhure.
The swine flu vaccine now in question is the injectable one, purchased from French Pharma giant, Sanofi Pasteur last on December for front-line health workers, who are most at risk of getting the disease. But some doctors in government hospitals refused to take the vaccine following fears of rare but serious side-effects like the Guillain-Barre syndrome.
"Some people have refused to take the injection. So, we have taken it in written form from the health workers who refused to take vaccine, if they fall ill on work, it will purely be their responsibility, " added Dr Dakhure.
However, Maharashtra is not the only state to record low swine flu vaccinations. Delhi gearing up for the Commonwealth Games has till date not used more than 40 per cent of its vaccine stock. Both Punjab and Rajasthan also have around 40 per cent of unused swine flu vaccines.
The particular vaccine batch, procured at about Rs 45 crore of public money expires by the end of October. So it may just end up going waste.
The official number of cases of swine flu has seen a dip over the past few weeks, but the virus is still doing the rounds. So, the doctors continue to advise that people with weakened immune systems should get vaccinated.
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