Over 64.36 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far through the Centre’s free of cost channel and the direct state procurement category, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Further, 14,94,040 doses will be supplied to states and union territories (UTs), it said.
The ministry said that 5,42,30,546 COVID-19 vaccine doses — balance and unutilised — are still available with states and UTs.
The central government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country, it said.
The inoculation 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. It said that as part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the government has been supporting states and UTs by providing them COVID-19 vaccines free of cost.
Under the universalisation of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the central government procures and supplies free of cost 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by vaccine manufacturers in the country to states and UTs.
