New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Over 88.14 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union Territories so far through the Centre's free-of-cost channel and direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

More than 5.28 crore unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs.

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A total of 88,14,50,515 vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the government (free of cost channel) and direct state procurement category, the ministry said.

The Union government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country, it said.

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The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry said.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the government has been supporting states and UTs by providing them COVID-19 vaccines for free, the ministry said.

Under universalisation of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Centre will procure and supply free of cost 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to states and UTs, it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)