With 2.25 Crore COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Still Available With States And UTs, Centre To Supply 1.09 Crore More Shots

The Centre on Tuesday (17 August) said that over 56.81 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been supplied to states and union territories since the beginning of the inoculation drive in January this year.

It further added that over 2.25 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states, union territories (UTs) and private hospitals to be administered, and further 1.09 crore more shots are in the pipeline.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said that the Centre has so far provided, through all sources, more than 56.81 crore (56,81,32,750) COVID-19 vaccine doses to states and UTs.

"Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 55,11,51,992 doses (as per data available at 8 am today)," the Health Ministry said.

More than 2.25 crore (2,25,52,523) balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs and private hospitals to be administered, it added.

Furthermore, over one crore (1,09,32,960) COVID-19 vaccine doses are in the pipeline, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, under the new phase of the universalisation of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, implementation of which started from 21 June, every month 75 per cent of the total vaccine doses being produced by the manufacturers would be procured by the Centre and will be supplied free of cost to states and UTs.

The ministry further said that the government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country.

"The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain," the ministry said.