The minister said that 51 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses will be made available by July and 216 crore more between August and December.
He urged states to ensure that the healthcare and frontline workers are fully vaccinated, as they form the vulnerable categories.
Interacting with the health ministers and principal secretaries/ additional chief secretaries of West Bengal and eight northeast states, Vardhan said, "Between August to December 2021, India will have procured 216 crore vaccine doses while, by July this year, 51 crore doses will be procured."
He said that by the end of the year, the country will be in a position to vaccinate at least all of its adult population, according to the health ministry statement.
West Bengal and the eight states of the North-eastern region are depicting a higher growth rate in the number of daily cases, high mortality and increasing positivity rate, the statement said.
Pointing out the new emerging trend in the country, Vardhan highlighted that now smaller states are showing an upward trend in terms of number of infections and there is a need to be cautious about this.