At a time when several States are alleging vaccine supply shortage and have even temporarily called off vaccinations on this very ground, the Centre on Sunday claimed the States/UTs and private hospitals combined have nearly 3.30 crore vaccines available with them.
According to the health ministry, over 45.37 crore vaccine doses have been provided to the states and UTs so far through all sources and a further 11,79,010 doses are in the pipeline. Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 42,08,32,021 doses (as per data available at 8 am Sunday), the ministry said. More than 3.29 Cr (3,29,38,559) balance and unutilized doses are still available with the States/UTs and private hospitals to be administered, the Ministry said.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the government has been supporting states and UTs by providing them COVID-19 vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalisation of the vaccination drive, the Union government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the manufacturers in the country to the states and UTs. The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21.
India has added 39,742 new cases of coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,13,71,901, while the death toll rose to 4,20,551 with 535 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours. The country is seventh among the most affected countries by active cases. The active cases have declined to 4,08,212 and comprise 1.30 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 97.36 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. A decline of 765 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (17518), Maharashtra (6753), Odisha (1917), Tamil Nadu (1830), and Andhra Pradesh (1747).