India has launched a nationwide free COVID-19 vaccination campaign for all adults, Reuters reported.

As most states closed vaccination centers for young populations, citing vaccine shortages, others went to private hospitals that charged $ 9 to $ 24 per dose, and the supply gap widened between urban and rural areas.

The country uses vaccines AstraZeneca and Covaxin from the Indian company Bharat Biotech.

Experts have warned of a potential third wave, as only about 5% of the 950 million residents to be vaccinated are fully vaccinated with two doses.

India has recorded 53,256 infections in the past 24 hours, the lowest since March 24. The incidence peaked at 400,000 per day in May, and the number of deaths rose sharply to 170,000 in April-May.

As most cities began to lift restrictions, experts warned that the quick resumption of work could complicate the vaccination program, which should be at least four times faster.

India's daily vaccinations peaked at 4.5 million on April 5 but has plummeted since then. India has administered an average of 2.7 million doses per day over the past 30 days.