The central government on Thursday released data on the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccines. The government said they had spent Rs 19,675 crore to procure COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost and distribution to states and Union Territories.
The govt also added, as promised in the Union Budget this year, they have set aside an outlay of Rs 35,000 crore for 2021-22 COVID-19 vaccination.
“It is informed that an expenditure of Rs 19,675.46 crore were spent for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost supplies to respective states and Union territories by December 20”, govt. reply to an RTI filed by social activist Amit Gupta.
The Task Force of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on COVID-19 vaccination said 117.56 crore doses have been administered at the Government-run vaccination centres while about 4.18 crores doses have been administered at private centres which include 3.55 crore doses of Covishield, 0.51 doses of Covaxin and 0.11 doses of Sputnik V vaccines from May 1 to December 20.
Under the Guidelines for National COVID Vaccination Program which came into effect from 21st June 2021, the government will procure 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the manufacturers in the country. In order to incentivise the production of vaccines in the country government gave the option to domestic manufacturers 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 central government.
