New Delhi, May 27 (IANS): After India crossed the 20-crore vaccination mark in 130 days, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that more than 22 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs and about 1.84 crore doses were still available with the States/UTs to be administered.

The Government of India has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, 22,16,11,940 doses to States/UTs.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 20,17,59,768 doses (as per data available at 8 a.m. Thursday).

Covid Vaccine doses to the tune of 1,84,90,522 were still available with the States/UTs to be administered, the government cleared in its data amid various attacks on social media on its vaccine policy.

A total of 11,42,630 vaccine doses were in the pipeline and would be received by the States/UTs within the next three days.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the central government has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In addition, it has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the States/UTs.

Vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy of Government of India for containment and management of the pandemic, along with Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour.

Implementation of the Liberalized and Accelerated Phase-3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination started from May 1.

Under the Strategy, every month 50 per cent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer is procured by Govt. of India. It continues to make these doses available to the state governments totally free of cost as was being done earlier.