More than 20 crore vaccine doses provided to States/UTs Free of Cost : Centre

New Delhi, May 16: Vaccination forms an integral component of the comprehensive 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, in addition to several efforts to ramp up its production and supply. Implementation of the Liberalized and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination has started from 1st May 2021. Under the Strategy, in every month 50% of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by Govt. of India. It would continue to make these doses available to the State Govts totally free of cost as was being dome earlier. Government of India has so far provided more than 20 crore vaccine doses (20,28,09,250) to States/UTs, Free of Cost. Of this, the total consumption, calculated based on average up to 14th May 2021, including wastages is 18,43,67,772 doses (as per data available at 7 PM yesterday). More than 1.84 crore COVID Vaccine doses (1,84,41,478) 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, nearly 51 lakh (50,95,640) vaccine doses are in the pipeline  and will be received by the States/UTs within the next 3 days.