NEW DELHI: The government’s direction to states not to share “sensitive information” related to vaccine stocks without permission from the Centre is intended to ensure vaccine data is not misused or used for commercial purposes, said officials. Data and analytics related to vaccine stocks and temperature at which it is stored are often widely sought by different agencies for crucial information related to usage trends, uptake of vaccines in varied categories of population as well as electricity supply status. “This is not only for Covid-19 vaccines. Even in the past we have asked states and immunisation commissioners that this data be shared strictly with consent from the ministry,” an official said.