BENGALURU: The Centre has so far spent Rs 961 crore in providing 2.2 crore doses of the two indigenously-developed Covid vaccines supplied to states and UTs, which puts the cost of each jab at Rs 446.70. In addition, states and UTs have collectively received Rs 123 crore to meet the operational costs of administering the vaccines.
Another Rs 357 crore earmarked for the purpose will be disbursed in phases. As per data made public by the Union health ministry, the Centre will, including the operational costs, incur nearly Rs 1,500 crore for vaccinating three crore healthcare and frontline workers, which gives an indication of the magnitude of funds required in the next phase of vaccination that is hoping to cover 27 crore more people across the country.
The per dose cost, notably, is not uniform across states. For example, Delhi has received 7.1 lakh doses at a cost of Rs 41.3 crore, but
Karnataka’s 17.2 lakh doses cost the Centre only Rs 59.7 crore.
The state-wise details of number of vaccine doses supplied and the cost incurred were shared on different dates by the health ministry in
Lok Sabha and no explanation was given for the cost difference. Of the 2.1 crore doses of vaccine supplied to states, nearly 1.9 crore are Oxford/ AstraZeneca’s Covishield and the remaining 25.7 lakh doses are
Covaxin. UP has received the maximum number of doses.
Maharashtra, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu, which have a high percentage of India’s healthcare workers, and
Rajasthan are among other states to receive large quantities of vaccines.
Naturally, these five states are also the ones to have received the highest amount of funds from the Centre to meet their ‘operational costs’.