Over 20 crore COVID vaccines provided to states/UTs, nearly 51 lakh in pipeline: Centre

New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Amid the reports of COVID-19 vaccine shortage from various states, the Central government on Sunday said nearly 51 lakh vaccine doses will be received by the States and Union Territories within the next three days.
In a release, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) stated that the government has provided more than 20 crore vaccine doses to the states, free of cost, so far.
"The Government of India has so far provided more than 20 crore vaccine doses (20,28,09,250) to States/UTs, free of Cost. Of this, the total consumption, calculated based on average up to May 14, including wastages is 18,43,67,772 doses (as per data available at 7 PM yesterday)...Furthermore, nearly 51 lakh (50,95,640) vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within the next three days," the ministry said.
It added that more than 1.84 crore COVID vaccine doses (1,84,41,478) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. "States with a negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to Armed Forces."
Notably, the implementation of the Centre's liberalised and accelerated Phase 3 vaccination strategy was started from May 1. Under the strategy, every month 50 per cent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) 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.
States and other private players are asked to procure the other 50 per cent of vaccines on their own directly from the manufacturers. (ANI)