Over 2.18 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses still available with states, UTs: Govt

More than 2.18 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are available with states and union territories, and over 56,70,350 more are in the pipeline and will be received by them in the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

More than 27.28 crore (27,28,31,900) vaccine doses have been provided to the states and UTs so far by the government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, it said.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 25,10,03,417 doses (as per data available at 8 am on Thursday), the ministry said, adding, ''2,18,28,483 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.'' ''Furthermore, more than 56,70,350 vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by them within the next three days,'' it said.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the central government has been supporting the states and UTs by providing them COVID-19 vaccines for free, the ministry said.

In addition, it has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the states and UTs.

Vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy of the government of India for containment and management of the pandemic, along with test, track, treat and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour.

Implementation of the liberalised and accelerated phase-3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination started from May 1, 2021.

Under the strategy, every month, 50 per cent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory-cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by the government of India.

It would continue to make these doses available to the state government totally free of cost as was being done earlier, the ministry said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)