Over 18.9 mn unutilised Covid vaccine doses available with states: Govt

More than 1.89 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and Union territories, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.

Two crore vaccine doses have been administered in the first 72 hours of the implementation of the new revised guidelines of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, the ministry said.

More than 30 crore (30,33,27,440) vaccine doses have been provided by the Centre to states/UTs so far, through Government of India (free of cost channel) and direct state procurement category.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastages, is 28,43,40,936 doses (according to the data available at 8 am on Thursday), the ministry said.

"More than 1.89 crore (1,89,86,504) balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.

"Furthermore, more than 21,05,010 vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by them within the next three days," the ministry said.

The Union government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21.

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

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the states/UTs by providing them Covid vaccines free of cost.

In the new phase of the universalisation 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 vaccine manufacturers in the country to states/UTs, it added.