Preparation to vaccinate at least 250-300 million Indians, including around 30 million health care and frontline workers, against Covid-19 by July 2021, for which India would require about 500-600 million vaccine doses.
Center government is following the states on devising measures to roll out Coronavirus vaccination drive across the country, anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2021 after the vaccine is available for use.
Though, even after the vaccine is successfully available two things will be needed; initially, vaccine manufacturers would likely need approvals for emergency use authorisation, and later after analysis of full phase-3 clinical trials data are out, there will be marketing approvals in place for use by the general public.
A senior health ministry official said, “A crucial part of the strategy is to get the exact list of people who need to be vaccinated on priority. States were asked to draw up a list of the population groups which will be given the vaccine in the first phase. To begin with, we are looking at vaccinating about 30 million frontline workers. That’s our topmost priority as they are at maximum risk of exposure to the virus.”
Different categories have been made for vaccine administration on priority by The Centre’s national vaccine committee has listed various categories to immunise people on priority which will include Corona warriors - health care and frontline workers, people above 65 years of age, those between 50 and 65 years of age, and those below 50 years of age with chronic diseases.
States have been asked to establish panels to supervise and coordinate the inoculation process at the ground level while not disturbing the other routine healthcare services.
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Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan had earlier written a letter to the state governments to constitute committees at the state and district levels to review preparatory activities.
These committees will also coordinate cold chain augmentation, capacity building activities of vaccinators and field staff, wherever needed.