New Delhi, May 16 (IANS): Over 20 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs free of cost by the Centre so far and more than 1.84 crore doses are still available with them to administer to people, an official statement said on Sunday.

According to the Health and Family Welfare Ministry statement, the states/UTs will get about 51 lakh doses in next three days as vaccination forms an integral component of the comprehensive strategy of the government for containment and management of the pandemic (including Test, Track, Treat and Covid Appropriate Behaviour).

"Government of India has been supporting the nationwide vaccination drive by providing Covid Vaccines free of cost to the States and UTs, in addition to several efforts to ramp up its production and supply," it said.

It said that implementation of the Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 strategy of Covid-19 vaccination has started from May 1, and under it, every month 50 per cent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by the Centre, which would continue to make these doses available to the states/UTs totally free of cost as was being done earlier.

The Centre has so far provided more than 20 crore vaccine doses (20,28,09,250) to states/UTs free of cost. Out of this, the total consumption, calculated based on average up to May 14, including wastages is 18,43,67,772 doses (as per data available at 7 p.m. on Saturday).

More than 1.84 crore vaccine doses (1,84,41,478) are still available with the states/UTs to be administered, the statement said, adding that states with negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to the Armed Forces.