Rs 19,675 cr spent on COVID-19 vaccine procurement: Govt data

The Centre has spent Rs 19,675 crore to procure COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost supply to states and Union territories, according to government data.

The government had earmarked Rs 35,000 crore in the Union Budget 2021-2022 for COVID-19 vaccination.

”It is informed that an expenditure of Rs 19,675.46 crore has been incurred for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost supplies to states and Union territories by December 20,” read a reply to an RTI application filed by social activist Amit Gupta. The Union health ministry’s COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Cell said that 117.56 crore i.e. 96.5 per cent doses have been administered at government Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) from May 1 to December 20. ”About 4.18 crore doses have been administered at private CVCs, which include 3.55 crore doses of Covishield, 0.51 crore doses of Covaxin and 0.ll crore doses of Sputnik V vaccine,” it said.

Under the ‘Revised Guidelines for Implementation of National COVID Vaccination Program’ effective from June 21, domestic vaccine manufacturers have the option to provide up to 25 per cent of their monthly vaccine production directly to private hospitals and any leftover vaccine is also procured by the government of India.

According to the CoWIN portal, over 140 crore doses have been administered in the country since the inoculation exercise started on January 16. As many as 56.79 crore people have received both the doses.