NEW DELHI — India will meet its target of supplying more than half a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to states by the end of this month, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, but added not all doses may be administered by then, according to Reuters.

The government told the country's highest court last month that 516 million doses would be made available by end-July, an important milestone for its goal of inoculating all of India's estimated adult population of 944 million this year.

The Health Ministry said in a statement, "The facts are that a total of more than 516 million vaccine doses will indeed be supplied from Jan 2021 to July 31, 2021,"

"Vaccines are supplied in various schedules throughout a month. Therefore, availability of 516 million doses till end of a particular month does not mean that every dose supplied till that month is going to be consumed/ administered."

India has administered nearly 438 million doses since mid-January, the most in the world after China but less than many countries relative to population. It has given the necessary two doses to 94 million people — 10% of the adult population, according to the government's vaccination website.

The world's second most populous country reported 29,689 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily rise since March 17, taking the total to 31.44 million. It has reported more than 420,000 deaths. — SPA