PM holds meeting with DMs of over 40 districts on low Covid vaccination

Over 114 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far through Centre's free of cost channel and through direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.

More than 14.68 crore (14,68,60,146) -- balance and unutilised -- vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories, it said.

The central government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country, the ministry said.

The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and union territories for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, it said.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting states and union territories by providing them COVID-19 vaccines free of cost.

Under universalisation of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the central government procures and supplies, free of cost, 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by vaccine manufacturers in the country to states and union territories, the ministry said.