Centre to give 19 mn Covid-19 doses to states in 2 weeks for free

The central government will supply 19 million vaccine doses to states in the next two weeks (from May 16 to 31) free of cost for the vaccination of 45-plus age group, health care and frontline workers, the health ministry said in a statement.

Of the total doses, 16 million will be that of Covishield and almost 3 million of Covaxin. “The delivery schedule for this allocation will be shared in advance. States have been requested to direct the officials concerned to ensure rational and judicious utilisation of allocated doses and minimise the vaccine was­tage,” the health ministry said.  

In the past two weeks, the Centre has supplied 17 million vaccine doses free of cost to states. The health ministry said more than 44 million doses were available for direct procurement by the states and private hospitals in May.

The government has so far procured 356 million doses — Covishield 276 million and Covaxin 80 million. Of these, 160 million — 110 million Covishiled and 50 million Covaxin — doses were part of the third phase of procurement starting May till July. 

Almost 4 million adults in the age group of 18-44 have received their first dose. The maximum doses were given in Maharashtra to more than 630,000 beneficiaries, followed by Rajasthan (over 590,000).  Maharashtra is leading the states with over 19 million vaccinations.  

Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday, “Delhi is facing an acute shortage of sufficient doses, wherein the stock for Covaxin has finished for the 18-44 age group, and the centres administering it have been temporarily shut down.”

The government recently said India had been the fastest country in the world to reach the mark of giving 170 million doses in 114 days ahead of the US, which did the same in 115 days and China in 119 days. India has so far given the first dose of vaccine to 32 per cent of its 45-plus population.

The picture varies across the country with 14 states having achieved the single-dose coverage ranging between 14 and 28 per cent in the 45-plus age bracket. 

Another 23 states have performed better than the national average vaccinating 33 to 85 per cent of the same age group with at least one dose.

Vaccine doses acquired through PM-CARES Fund and the GAVI Covax facility were received in full and already utilised. Besides, the Centre’s procurement of 160 million doses is in the pipeline under direct purchase by states and private hospitals.