By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Vaccination forms an integral component of the five point strategy of Government of India of containment and management of the pandemic (including Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour). Government of India has been supporting the nationwide vaccination drive by providing COVID Vaccines free of cost to the States and UTs.
Implementation of the Liberalized and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination has started from 1st May 2021. In the Strategy it is made clear that in every month only 50% of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by Govt. of India. Govt of India would continue to procure its share of 50% of the monthly CDL cleared vaccines & would continue to make it available to the State Govts totally free of cost as was being dome earlier.
Government of India has so far provided more than 18 crore vaccine doses (18,00,03,160) to States/UTs Free of Cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 17,09,71,429 doses (as per data available at 8 am today).
More than 90 lakh COVID Vaccine doses (90,31,691) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. States with negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to Armed Forces.
Furthermore, more than 7 lakh (7,29,610) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the States/UTs within the next 3 days.
