Over 12.14 cr unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses still available with States, UTs

The ministry further informed that 1,93,53,58,865 vaccine doses have been provided to States and UTs so far through free of cost channel and through the direct state procurement category

"More than 12.14 Cr (12,14,44,440) balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered," it added.

The Central Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country.

The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021.

The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, 2021.

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

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them with COVID Vaccines free of cost.

In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.

However, India reported 15,940 fresh cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours.

With this, India's active cases surge to 91,779 and the daily positivity rate is currently at 4.39 per cent.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccination drive in India prevented over 42 lakh deaths in 2021, according to the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, which is based on findings on estimates of "excess" mortalities in the country during the pandemic.

According to a new projection set to be published in the Lancet journal on Friday, COVID-19 vaccination may have helped reduce the number of deaths to almost a third of what they would have been around the world including by approximately 2.7 million to 5.3 million in India.

After India reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the last 100 days, a top expert said that the surge in COVID-19 infections isn't a concern but it is necessary to closely monitor the severity of the virus.

According to Dr Sanjay Rai, Senior Epidemiologist at AIIMS, the surge in COVID-19 cases isn't a concern but there is a needs to closely monitor severity, deaths, and hospitalization. (ANI)