Over 72.77 crore COVID-19 vaccines provided to states, UTs so far: Centre

New Delhi: More than 72.77 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through Government of India (free of cost channel) and direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. Further, more than 1.6 crore doses (1,60,75,000) are in the pipeline. More than 4.49 crore (4,49,03,025) balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, the ministry said. The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states/UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry said. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the states/UTs by providing them COVID vaccines free of cost, it stated. In the new phase of universalisation of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Union government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 percent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to states/UTs.