More than 27.90 crore (27,90,66,230) vaccine doses have been provided to States and Union Territories so far, said the Centre. Of this, the total consumption was 25,32,65,825 doses as per data available at 8 AM Friday, including wastage.
More than 2.58 crore (2,58,00,405) COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered and more than 19,95,770 vaccine doses are in the pipeline, which will be received by the States and UTs within the next 3 days, said the Centre.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In addition, it has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the States/UTs.
Vaccination is an integral part of the comprehensive strategy for containment and management of the pandemic, along with Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour. Implementation of the Liberalized and Accelerated Phase-3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination has started from 1st May 2021.
Under the Strategy, 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 done earlier.
Covid Curve
In order to flatten the country's Covid curve by July end, the government should vaccinate a whopping 90-lakh people a day, according to a healthcare expert. "We invited the second wave and if we were to repeat the same, then God help us! With a near double mortality versus the first, the second was a shocker," Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and MD, Medanta Hospital.
"If starting July 1, we are able to administer 50 lakh vaccines a day then we can reduce the virus impact by 25 per cent and by 50 per cent if this is scaled up to 70 lakh by mid-July. We may even flatten the curve if we are able to vaccinate about 90-lakh people in a day by the end of the month," Trehan said.
Meanwhile, early this month, the government has said that there will be enough doses by mid-July or August to vaccinate one crore people per day. "We are confident of vaccinating the whole population by December," Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava had said.
Currently, the country is facing a vaccine shortage causing a delay in the nationwide vaccination programme. The Health Ministry on Friday said that a total of 26,89,60,399 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 32,59,003 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.
(With inputs from IANS)
