E-Paper
Ensure no vial of Covid vaccine is wasted: Centre tells states and UTs
Vikas Sheel, health ministry additional secretary, wrote to states and UTs and said the instruction was in reference to the issue of vaccines available at private vaccination centres that were nearing their expiry date.
The government has asked all states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that no vial of Covid-19 vaccine is wasted, either in state-run hospitals or private facilities.
_1643436543840.jpg "Till now, authorities have administered over 178 crore doses to eligible beneficiaries, the health ministry said on Thursday. (PTI file photo)")
Vikas Sheel, health ministry additional secretary, wrote to states and UTs and said the instruction was in reference to the issue of vaccines available at private vaccination centres that were nearing their expiry date.
"Earlier also directions have been issued to specific States of West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra," Sheel's letter, issued on February 23, read.
“In this regard, it is reiterated to all the States/UTs that the MoHFW has no objection for the States/UTs to consider of near expiry vaccine vials of private CVCs with long expiry vaccine vials available with government CVCs after due diligence. Kindly ensure that no vials of Covid vaccine in government CVCs as well as in private CVCs should be wasted,” the letter added.
The additional secretary also that the provision of these exchanged vaccines is available on CoWIN.
Till now, authorities have administered over 178 crore doses to eligible beneficiaries, the health ministry said on Thursday. Of these, 21,83,976 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
The health ministry also said on Thursday that over 15.19 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered.
India on Thursday continued to report a downward trend in its daily Covid-19 tally after 6,561 infections were reported in the last 24 hours, which pushed the caseload to 4,29,45,160. Nearly 15,000 patients recuperated and 142 died on Thursday and the cumulative count of recoveries and deaths has climbed to 4,23,53,620 and 5,14,388 respectively.
The active cases in the country have further declined to 77,152.
