1.92cr Covid-19 vaccine doses lying unused with states, private hospitals: Govt

More than 40.31 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and the Union territories so far, while another 83,85,790 jabs are in the pipeline.

The Union ministry of health and family welfare said on Thursday said more than 1.92 crore unutilised doses of vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) are still available with various state governments, Union territories and private hospitals.

The health ministry flagged the 'slow pace of vaccination' against Covid-19 by private centres in several states a cause of serious worry. (File photo)

The ministry further said around 40.31 crore Covid-19 vaccine does have been provided to the states and Union territories so far while another 83,85,790 doses are in the pipeline.

Till Wednesday evening, India administered at least 390 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. However, the pace of the vaccination reportedly started slowing, dropping to levels seen before June 21, when the country covered all adults under the inoculation drive.

The Centre on Wednesday directed the health secretaries of at least 15 states and Union territories to review the status of Covid-19 vaccine procurement by private centres, while expressing concerns over the "slow pace" of inoculation, which it called a "cause of serious worry."

At least six states sounded the alarm bells over vaccine shortage even as the newly inducted Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya alleged that “misinformed” statements were being put out to “create panic” among people regarding the supply of Covid-19 jabs.

The Delhi government said it was forced to shut almost half the vaccination centres in the national capital on Wednesday after the Union territory ran short of supplies again. Delhi administered a little over 64,000 doses of vaccines on Wednesday as compared to nearly 129,000 a day earlier. Delhi's health minister Satyender Jain blamed it on the shortage of vaccine supply by the Centre.