In largest order so far, Centre to buy 66cr vax doses for ₹14,505cr

In largest order so far, Centre to buy 66cr vax doses for ₹14,505cr

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.07.2021 

The government is placing its largest order yet of covid vaccines at 66 crore doses worth ₹14,505 crore to procure Covishield and Covaxin shots that will help it to meet the vaccine availability projections it had made in the Supreme Court.

The order is in line with the Centre’s estimate of 135 crore doses being available between August and December as stated in its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on June 26. Apart from the order for 66 crore doses, the government has made an advance payment to reserve 30 crore doses of Hyderabadbased Biological-E’s Corbevax vaccine, official sources said.

This means a total of 96 crore doses are expected to be available on account of government procurement during August-December. While the 96 crore doses comprises the Centre’s share of 75% of the total manufactured doses, the private sector will also have another 22 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin available during the period.

Aid for 1,071 teachers who died on poll duty

The UP government will compensate the families of 2,020 of its employees who died of Covid-19 while on panchayat election duty in April and May. Of them, 1,071 were teachers or education staff. In May, the government had said just three teachers had died on poll duty. Initially, the government counted only those who had died within 24 hours of poll duty. As the election was under way, TOI had on April 24 first reported that several teachers had died after panchayat election duty with Covid-19 symptoms, while teachers’ unions put the toll at 1,621 after the polls ended.

39.49 crore vax doses administered across country till Thursday

The order and other anticipated supplies, said officials, will help India remain on track to ensure vaccination for the 18 plus population by the year end.

The total production of Covishield and Covaxin in August-December is placed at 88 crore doses. Despite a shortfall of around 3.5 crore doses in July, Covaxin production is put at 38 crore in this period, slightly less than the 40 crore mentioned in the SC affidavit. The glitches in its production are understood to have been sorted out.

Apart from Covishield, Covaxin and Corbevax, the government’s estimate of 135 crore doses also included Sputnik V and Zydus Cadila’s vaccine. While Sputnik V locally manufactured supplies are yet to start, Cadila’s approval is pending. Ten crore Sputnik and five crore Cadila are estimated to be available this year according to the Centre’s affidavit.

The government aims to inoculate the entire adult population above 18 years age by December.

A total of 39.49 crore doses have been administered across the country till Thursday 7pm.

The Centre has indicated availability of 13.5 crore doses during July, which would translate into an average 50 lakh doses per day. While daily vaccinations have been modest in July so far with a little over 5 crore doses given so far in the month, the states have been asked to ramp up sessions along with that in the private sector where pick up has been slow so far.

Full report on www.toi.in