E-Paper
States have 1 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses, will get another 20 lakh shots within 3 days: Centre
The statement by the Centre comes at a time when several states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Rajasthan, have said they are unlikely to roll out the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination, which begins across the country from May 1, owing to inadequate stock of doses.
Even as several states and Union territories reported a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Thursday claimed they still have over one crore doses available with them and will receive another 20 lakh of them within the next three days.
Follow latest updates on Covid-19 here
“More than 1 crore Covid Vaccine doses (1,06,08,207) are still available with the states/UTs to be administered. More than 20 Lakh (20,48,890) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the states/UTs within the next 3 days,” the health ministry said in a statement, adding that the Centre has so far provided around 16.16 crore vaccine doses to the states free of cost and of them, 151,077,933 doses have been used, including wastage.
The statement by the government comes at a time when several states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Rajasthan, have said they are unlikely to roll out the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination, which begins across the country from May 1, owing to inadequate stock of doses.
The health ministry pointed to media reports from Maharashtra quoting officials who have claimed that the vaccines in the state are almost over. “The total Covid vaccine doses received by Maharashtra as on 28th April 2021 (at 8 am) are 1,63,62,470. Of this, the total consumption including wastage (0.22%) was 1,56,12,510. Balance of 749,960 vaccine doses is still available with the state for administration to the eligible population groups,” it clarified.
Maharashtra’s health minister Rajesh Tope earlier announced that a full-fledged rollout of the inoculation drive from May 1 is not possible for the want of vaccines. “We have all the infrastructure to conduct vaccination but we don't have vaccines in adequate quantity. The chief minister is talking to different vaccine manufacturers. There will be separate centres for vaccination of those between 18 and 44 years of age,” the minister was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
The Centre has allowed all citizens above the age of 18 to take the Covid-19 vaccine starting May 1. The registrations for the third phase of vaccination have also begun on the CoWin portal.
