Over 37% of the Indian population in the above 45-year-old age group have been administered at least one vaccine shot against Covid-19 while 32% of this age bracket have received both the doses so far, according to figures released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday.

The country’s vaccination launched on Jan 16 this year “has yielded positive results by achieving more than 81% 1st dose coverage amongst registered healthcare workers and around 84% coverage of 1st dose amongst registered frontline workers such as policemen, thereby protecting these cohorts who are involved in providing healthcare services, surveillance and containment activities amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Health Ministry statement said.

Vaccine Availability

The Government of India has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 23 crore vaccine doses to States and UTs. Of this, the total consumption, including wastage is 21.7 crore doses as per data available at 8 AM on Wednesday. More than 1.64 crore COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered, according to the health ministry statement.

Vaccine supplies to states have been ramped up as from 1st May all citizens aged 18 years and above are eligible for vaccination. A ‘Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy’ was adopted on 1st May 2021 which is guiding the ongoing phase-3 of the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Under the strategy, in every month 50% of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by Govt. of India. It would continue to make these doses available to the States and UTs totally free of cost as was being done earlier. The remaining 50% doses are available for direct procurement by State/UT government and private hospitals, of which States share is on a pro-rata basis.