Over 2.30 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states, Union Territories and private hospitals which are yet to be administered, the Health Ministry said on Friday. More than 51.16 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through all sources and 20,49,220 jabs are in the pipeline, it said.
The total consumption, including wastage, is 49,19,73,961 doses according to data available at 8 am. The Union government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The new phase of universalization of Covid vaccination commenced from June 21, the ministry said.
The inoculation drive has been ramped up through the availability of more vaccines, advanced visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, it said. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the government has been providing vaccines to states and UTs free of cost.
Under the new phase of the universalization of the drive, the Centre procures and supplies 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced in the country to states and Union Territories.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday that a total of 3.56 crore COVID-19 vaccines have been procured by private hospitals till August 2 and the doses once procured by them are not re-allocated to government vaccination centres.
Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, in a written reply, said the demand for Covid vaccines from private hospitals is aggregated on Co-WIN portal, and the Centre, through which, facilitates the sourcing of these vaccines by private hospitals in coordination with state governments and vaccine manufacturers.
“The private hospitals, accordingly, prepare and publish the schedule of vaccination on Co-WIN portal as per the availability of vaccines with them. As on August 2, 2021, a total of 3.56 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been procured by private hospitals. The COVID-19 vaccines once procured by private hospitals are not re-allocated to government vaccination centres,” she said.
The minister was responding to a question on Covishield and Covaxin vaccines released to the government centres and private hospitals under the 75:25 formula since January, 2021. She was asked if the private hospitals are not able to fully utilise their monthly quota and whether the government proposes to re-allocate such quota of unutilised vaccines from private hospitals to government vaccination centres of the concerned state/UTs, on a daily or monthly basis, for optimum utilisation of the vaccines.
Pawar said from May 1 to June 20, the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy’ was implemented to incentivise production by vaccine manufacturers and encourage new COVID-19 vaccines. Under this strategy, states/UTs and private hospitals were allowed to procure COVID-19 vaccines directly from manufacturers.
The Government of India procured 50 per cent of monthly vaccine production by domestic manufacturers, state governments and private hospitals procured the remaining 50 per cent doses. The Revised Guidelines for Implementation of National COVID Vaccination Program came in effect from June 21, under which Government of India procures 75 per cent and private hospitals can procure up to 25 per cent of monthly vaccine production, the MoS said in her reply.
In order to ensure maximum utilisation of the vaccines, a 15 days advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs is provided by the central government with an advice to prepare and publicise in advance district-wise and CVC-wise plan for accelerating the coverage of COVID-19 vaccination and for maximising the convenience of citizens, the reply stated. .
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