Key points:
- India is looking at vaccinating approximately 30 million persons, including healthcare professionals.
- In addition to 20 million other frontline health staff, the 30 million includes 7 million physicians and paramedics.
- Around January and June 2021, the first level of the vaccine has been tentatively planned.
- Over the prior 50 years, India has been running a robust Universal Immunisation Programme.
- As a result, we now have over 28,000 cold storages nationwide that are used to hold numerous vaccines distributed under the initiative.
- No one recognizes when the vaccine will be ready for use, but many countries will be in line to procure it when it does.
India is looking at vaccinating approximately 30 million persons, including healthcare professionals, who are at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the first step once viral disease protection becomes available, officials of the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Rajesh Bhusan Stated:
In addition to 20 million other frontline health staff, the 30 million includes 7 million physicians and paramedics, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Tuesday on the sidelines of a Covid-19 media conference.
The nation also has the facilities in place to vaccinate 30 million people, Bhushan said. He said, “We’ve got a cold chain, vials, syringes, and all.”
Bhushan on The first Phase of Vaccine:
Around January and June 2021, the first level of the vaccine has been tentatively planned.
We have come up with a draught prioritization strategy for the deliberations of the national advisory committee on vaccine management.
We have sought to align the figures that came from this draught schedule with the number of doses that will be tentatively available from January to July 2021.
And we conclude that if the current experiments were to continue as expected and succeed, then the number of doses available from January to July 2021 will be adequate to immunize the priority list of individuals. That we’re working on …, “Bhushan added.
They continued that individuals should not afford to let their guard down even though a vaccine is made available.
According to Dr Balram Bhargava:
Even after the Covid-19 vaccine is produced, the same precautions (against the disease) will have to be continued.’
We’ve got to be careful … For a proper amount of time, we have to test, treat, and isolate. The need for this will gradually decrease with time, but there is little space for relaxation” said Dr Balram Bhargava, president of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
India’s Robust Universal Immunisation Program:
Over the past 50 years, India has been running a robust Universal Immunisation Programme, vaccinating nearly 25 million children and adults per year.
Rajesh Bhushan On the distribution of vaccine:
As a result, we now have over 28,000 cold storages nationwide that are used to hold numerous vaccines distributed under the initiative.
Both of these facilities have temperature trackers that allow our unified server to upload information in real-time, Bhushan said.
We now have our own integrated portal with all updated details from vaccine procurement to packaging, cold chain, and refrigerated vehicle transportation.
If non-refrigerated cars are used, then a special form of the refrigerated box where the temperature is controlled is used to carry vaccines in them.
In India, this facility already exists, and what the government is exploring is how this facility can be extended to produce the Covid-19 vaccine. We have a national-level expert group in place for this, “he said.
Any private clinics say that they have the infrastructure to store massive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and prescribe it. The secretary of health said that the government was engaging with private institutions.
We are in continuous engagement with health care providers in the private sector, and we will share it with you like the contours of the initial change.
We have excess room in the country for both vials and domestic syringes. For suppliers, we are in direct contact.
Inside the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, we still have an existing inventory that most individuals are not aware of. So, we will use our inventory, and we will also use the inventory that is currently available in the domestic market,’ said Bhushan.
according to Dr K Srinath Reddy:
Experts agree that being prepared is fine. “No one knows when the vaccine will be ready for use, but many countries will be in line to procure it when it does.” It makes sense to start preparations now,’ said Dr K Srinath Reddy, founder of India’s Public Health Foundation.
