Plan to get 188 crore doses to vaccinate all adults by year-end: Centre to Supreme Court
The Centre Saturday told the court that until the end of this year, it expected to get 188 crore vaccine doses – from at least five manufacturers – which would fully inoculate the total 94-crore population above 18.
FollowNew Delhi: The Centre on Saturday told the Supreme Court that it expects to get around 188 crore vaccine doses - from at least five manufacturers - to inoculate the entire adult population by the end of the year. Only about 5.6% of India's adult population has received two doses, according to the government.
The Centre said the 51.6 crore jabs (Covishield, 38.6 crore; Covaxin, 11 crore and Sputnik V, two crore) were procured at a cost of Rs 5,803 crore. It said the government has arranged for 135 crore more doses — Covishield (50 crore), Covaxin (40 crore), Bio E (30 crore), Zydus Cadila (5 crore) and Sputnik V (10 crore). The Centre said the vaccination could be completed earlier as many vaccines are at advanced stages of trial and could get user certificates from the concerned authorities.
"Total population - above 18 years of age - is approximately 93-94 crore. As such, administering two doses to these beneficiaries would require an estimated 186 to 188 crore vaccine doses. Out of this requirement, 51.6 crore doses will be made available for administration by July 31, leaving a requirement of approximately 135 crore vaccine doses for complete vaccination to the eligible population," the Centre said in an affidavit filed by Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Health Ministry.
“The vaccination drive would get a boost if the government of India succeeds in its attempts to procure vaccines available outside India like vaccines of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna etc. It is submitted that for the purpose of procurement of these vaccines from abroad, efforts are ongoing at the level of the highest political executive in the country and also at the highest diplomatic level,” it said.
In its affidavit, the Centre said that based on supply estimates, it estimates 51.6 crore cumulative vaccinations by the end of July.
Significantly, in May, the head of India’s Covid-19 task force had said that 216 crore doses would be available in India between August and December.
Walk-in vaccinations have been allowed for all ages and the digital divide is not a constraint for access to vaccines anymore, it added.
"Till June 25, 31 crore vaccine doses have been administrated across the country. COWIN platform registration is not mandatory, people in rural areas can visit the nearest vaccination centre go get vaccinated," it said.
About 56.24% of the rural population have taken the jabs, it said.
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