More than 18.53 crore jabs still available with states, says Centre

The Union health ministry said on Saturday that more than 123 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed to states and union territories through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and the direct state procurement category.

The states still have more than 18.53 crore (18,53,90,836) leftover and unused Covid vaccination doses, according to the report.

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

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

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the states and Union territories by providing Covid vaccines to them for free.

In the new phase of universalisation of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Centre will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to the states, the ministry said.