New Delhi: Many big private hospitals have no stocks of Covid-19 vaccines and are not planning to procure them due to poor booster uptake, even as Covid-19 cases saw an uptick. “We currently have no plans to acquire additional Covid vaccines,” said the spokesperson at Max healthcare. Many executives disclosed that they have stopped procuring vaccines as there is hardly any demand and they have exhausted their supplies.

“We are seeing the end of vaccination in the private sector,” said a senior official working with the leading private hospital on the condition of anonymity.

Apollo hospitals is currently obtaining only Covovax and intends to acquire more as needed, said Dr Rajesh Chawla, senior consultant, pulmonology and critical care at Indraprastha Apollo hospital. Private participation has become miniscule since last year, they said.

“The hospitals have seen a drop in the number of vaccinations each month. This year has seen a drastic drop in demand as most people have already taken it,” added executives.

“If we open a vial, it has to be used on 10 more people and it becomes difficult to use it as there is hardly any demand for the vaccine now,” another executive said.

The uptake of vaccines remained low even as the country saw an increase in the number of cases in the last few weeks.

India on April 14 had touched 11,109 cases after hitting the 10,000- mark in the same week. The country started to see a decline in the number of cases this week. On Tuesday, India reported a further dip in daily Covid-19 cases as the country 6,660 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll in the country has increased to 5,31,369 with 24 deaths, including nine reconciled by Kerala, it further said.

The current surge in Covid cases is being driven by XBB.1.16, which is a sub variant of Omicron. N.K. Arora, Head of Covid Advisory Group had earlier told ET that breakthrough infections are occurring irrespective of the number of doses a person has received.

He had said that those who have received a precaution don’t require any additional precaution doses.

However, he said those who are above 60 and those who have comorbidities or have immunosuppressed state are advised to get their precaution dose if they still have not received it.