"Vaccine Waste Will Affect Allocation": Centre's Warning To States

The guidelines also state that while vaccines will be given free of cost to all, private hospitals can buy 25 per cent to inoculate those willing to pay for their doses

Covid vaccine allocation to states may be negatively affected by high wastage rates, the government said Tuesday as part of revised guidelines for the national vaccination drive. Guidelines released today said the government will procure 75 per cent of vaccines produced in India and distribute them to states "based on criteria such as population, disease burden and progress of vaccination". "Wastage of vaccine will affect the allocation negatively," it said. The warning is likely to be viewed unfavourably by the states (and people whose vaccination chances may now depend on their government's efficiency) - particularly those already accused of wasting doses in the tug-of-war between centre and states over supply and vaccination pace. Last month Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were accused of wasting around 37 and 30 per cent of supplied doses. BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh was accused of wasting 11 per cent of doses. All three hit back; they said the data was faulty and actual wastage was only around five per cent.