Over 138 crore Covid vaccine doses provided to States, UTs so far: Centre

Over 138 crore COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to states and union territories so far under the nationwide vaccination drive, said the Union Health Ministry on Friday.

As per information shared by the ministry, a total of 1,38,50,13,650 doses have been provided to states and union territories so far through the Central government's free of cost channel and through the direct state procurement category.

The ministry in an official statement said that more than 22.05 (22,05,87,426) crore balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered to the eligible population.

"The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country," the ministry said in an official release.

"The vaccination 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," it added.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has been supporting the States and Union Territories by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost.

In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and the Union Territories.