The Centre on Tuesday said that states can reserve at least 70% of the vaccines supplied to them from the Government of India channel (free of cost) for those receiving the second dose of vaccination and the remaining 30% for first-time recepients.

“States to ensure all beneficiaries who have taken the first dose are prioritised for the second doses,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said after a meeting. 

More than 90 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and UTs, which will receive over seven lakh additional doses in the next three days, Bhushan said.

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“More than 90 lakh COVID vaccine doses (90,31,691) are still available with the states and UTs to be administered. States with a negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to Armed Forces,” the ministry said.

The Centre has so far provided more than 18 crore vaccine doses (18,00,03,160) to states and UTs free of cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 17,09,71,429 doses.

The ministry said the Government of India has been supporting the nationwide vaccination drive by providing COVID vaccines free of cost to states and UTs. States and UTs will receive 7,29,610 additional vaccine doses in addition within the next three days.

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Implementation of the Liberalized and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of COVID-19 Vaccination has started from 1st May 2021. In the strategy, it is made clear that every month only 50 per cent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by the Centre.

The Centre would continue to procure its share of 50 per cent of the monthly CDL cleared vaccines and would continue to make it available to state governments free of cost as was being done earlier.