Centre to provide States, UTs with over 48 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses in next 3 days

New Delhi: Extending support to the states and union territories in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health on Tuesday (May 4) said an additional 48 lakh vaccine doses will be sent to various places in three days.

More than 75 lakh vaccine doses (75,24,903) are still available with the States/UTs, which are to be administered, it cleared.

In an official release, the health ministry said the Centre has so far provided nearly 16.69 crore Covid vaccine doses (16,69,97,410) to States/UTs free of charge. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 15,94,75,507 doses, as per data available at 8 am Tuesday.

The Centre on April 19 had announced a “liberalised” policy, making all above 18 years of age eligible to get vaccinated from 1 May. It has also allowed state governments and private hospitals to purchase vaccines from manufacturers.

As per the revised rules, the Centre will receive 50 per cent of the vaccines supplied; states and private hospitals will get the remaining doses.

The country had started the Covid vaccination drive on January 16 with two vaccines – Covishield, Oxford-AstraZeneca`s vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin -manufactured by Bharat Biotech Limited.