The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has once again directed all federating units to stop administering Sinopharm and Moderna as first doses based on limited stocks.

In a notification, the NCOC said based on "limited stock viz-a-viz future procurement, clear instructions were passed to all federating units for immediate stoppage of Sinopharm and Moderna as first dose".

However, both Covid-19 vaccines were being administered in a "huge quantity", it noted, warning that doing so will "complicate administration of second dose in foreseeable future owing to non-availability of requisite stock levels besides hammering national vaccination drive".

It emphasised that all federating units should stop administering Sinopharm and Moderna "irrespective of nature of case and request by clientele".