“Additionally, 30% of the advance for procurement of both the Covid vaccines has been released to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech,” said a statement from the ministry…reports Asian Lite News.
After the Prime Minister announced free vaccination, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a fresh order for 25 crore doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin.
These 44 crore (25+19 cr) doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be available till December 2021, starting now.
“Additionally, 30% of the advance for procurement of both the Covid vaccines has been released to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech,” said a statement from the ministry.
With the aim to further universalize the countrywide vaccination drive, all citizens above 18 years of age can receive the COVID-19 vaccine doses free of cost at government health facilities from June 21.
In the immediate follow-up of the Prime Minister’s announcement of these changes in the Guidelines of National COVID Vaccination programme on Monday, the Union Health Ministry has placed an order with Serum Institute of India for 25 crore doses of Covishield and with Bharat Biotech for 19 crore doses of Covaxin.
The Government of India has been supporting the efforts of the States and UTs for an effective vaccination drive under the ‘Whole of Government’ approach since January 16 this year. Based on the various representations received by the Union Government, the vaccination for all adults above 18 years of age was opened with the onset of Liberalized Phase III of India’s vaccination strategy on May 1, 2021.
Meanwhile, India on Wednesday logged 92,596 new Covid infections in 24 hours, less than one lakh cases for the second straight day and 6,098 cases more than Tuesday, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said.
On June 8, India recorded 86,498 cases, lowest since April 2 when the country logged 89,129 new cases.
In the past 24 hours, 2,219 more people succumbed to the pandemic.
India’s overall tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,90,89,069 with 12,31,415 active cases and 3,53,528 deaths so far.
After battling a brutal second wave for weeks, fresh Covid cases came down below the three lakh-mark for the first time on May 17 after touching record high of 4,14,188 on May 7.
jIn the last three weeks, India has recorded over 93,000 deaths. India registered record fatalities due to Covid-19 on May 21 with 4,529 deaths — the highest from Covid infection in any country in a day since the coronavirus outbreak was reported in China’s Wuhan in December 2019. It surpassed 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, 2021, and 4,211 in Brazil on April 6, 2021.
The Health Ministry said that a total of 23,90,58,360 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 27,76,096 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.
