Over 23 crore vaccine doses provided to States, UTs, more than 1.75 crore doses still available with them: Health Ministry

New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI): As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has so far provided more than 23 crore vaccine doses (23,11,68,480) to States/UTs, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, informed the Union Health Ministry on Monday.
Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 21,22,38,652 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today), said the ministry.
It further stated that more than 1.75 crore COVID Vaccine doses (1,75,48,648) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.
Furthermore, more than 2.73 lakh (2,73,970) vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within the next 3 days.
The ministry stated that the Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In addition, the Central government has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the States/UTs.
Vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy of Government of India for containment and management of the pandemic, along with Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour, it said.
The ministry further stated that the 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 (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 Govts totally free of cost as was being done earlier, it added. (ANI)