Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, The Government of India ( GoI) has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them Covid Vaccine free of cost. In addition, it has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccine 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. Implementation of the Liberalised and Accelerated Phase-3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination started from May 1, 2021. Under the Strategy, every month 50% of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by the GoI. It would continue to make these doses available to the State Govts totally free of cost as was being done earlier.
The GoI has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 22 crore vaccine doses (22,00,59,880) to States/UTs, according to a PIB release. Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 20,13,74,636 doses (as per data available at 8 am on May 26, 2021).
More than 1.77 crore Covid Vaccine doses (1,77,52,594) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. Furthermore, 1 lakh (1,00,000) vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within next 3 days.