New Delhi: The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across the country has crossed 15.21 crore with over 20 lakh shots being given till 8 pm on Thursday, the Union Health ministry said.
Also, the total registrations on CoWIN portal for phase three vaccination have crossed 2.28 crore in just two days, according to data till 9:30 pm, it said.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 15,21,05,563 according to the 8 pm provisional report.
These include 93,85,676 healthcare and 1,24,12,904 frontline workers who have taken the first dose and 61,89,635 healthcare 67,04,193 frontline workers who have taken the second shot.
In the age group of 45 to 60 years, 5,17,23,607 got the first dose and 34,02,049 the second dose, while 5,18,72,503 senior citizens got first dose of the vaccine and 1,04,14,996 got the second shot.
A total of 20,84,931 vaccine doses were given on Thursday till 8 pm out of which 11,82,563 beneficiaries got the first dose and 9,02,368 the second dose according to the provisional report, the ministry said, adding final reports for the day would be completed by late in the night.
Meanwhile, industry bodies representing private hospitals have asked the Central government to continue supplying vaccines to these hospitals for at least three months, amidst availability and supply chain issues.
While private hospitals have initiated discussions for purchasing jabs from domestic manufacturers and international companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna, not much progress has been made. Foreign vaccine makers are believed to have told private hospitals that they supply to governments and not to private entities.
More than one crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and UTs and they will receive over 20 lakh more doses within the next 3 days, the ministry said on Thursday.
On media reports quoting some Maharashtra government officials that vaccines in the state are "finished" and adversely impacting the vaccination drive, the ministry said a balance of 7,49,960 vaccine doses is still available with the state for administration to eligible population groups. "It is clarified that the total COVID vaccine doses received by Maharashtra as on April 29 (at 8 am) are 1,63,62,470.
"Of this, the total consumption, including wastage (0.22 per cent), was 1,56,12,510. Balance of 7,49,960 vaccine doses is still available with the state for administration to the eligible population groups," the ministry said.
Several states have voiced their concerns over the daily inoculation count dropping, owing to a vaccine shortage.
Delhi Health minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said the city "does not have vaccines" for the inoculation of persons in the 18-44 age group and purchase orders have been placed with manufacturers for the same.
The minister, however, said preparations to give jabs to this category have been completed.
"At present, we don't have vaccines. We have requested the companies to provide it," Jain told reporters when asked if there were enough vaccines available for the 18-44 age group.
"We will tell you in a day or two," he replied to another query about starting the inoculation drive for this category on May 1.
Maharashtra's daily COVID-19 vaccination figure has dropped by 1.5 lakh amid the current shortage of vaccine doses, an official said on Thursday. The state's overall inoculation count currently stands at over 1.55 crore, he said. As per the data released on Thursday, the state had inoculated 3,88,247 persons on Tuesday, while it could administer 2,37,700 vaccine doses on Wednesday.
The Gujarat government on Thursday said the process to vaccinate people against COVID-19 in 18 to 45 age group will begin once it gets substantial number of vaccines from pharmaceutical companies, triggering speculation whether the state would miss
the May 1 launch date of the inoculation drive meant for this category.
However, the registration process for vaccination of people in this age group has begun in the state. The vaccination drive for all above 18 years in Punjab may get delayed as the state does not have enough doses of the anti-Coronavirus vaccine, its health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Thursday.
The inoculation drive for those between 18 and 45 years of age was scheduled to start from May 1.
"We are not getting adequate doses of vaccines. That is why we are facing problems. We have staff and required infrastructure for vaccination," Sidhu said addressing the media here. Himachal Pradesh's younger population in the age bracket of 18-44 yrs may not be able to get vaccination from May 1. The state government, on Thursday, took a complete U-turn on starting the next phase of the vaccination for 18 –Plus age, only assuring to take up the drive once the vaccination is available to the state. The vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group would not start on May 1 in Madhya Pradesh as the manufacturers cannot supply enough vaccine doses in time, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday. The ongoing vaccination of people in the above-45 category will continue, he added.