Vibha Rao
October 25, 2020
The Modi government is planning to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine plan utilizing innovative technologies and advanced digital trackers while relying on the attempted and tested practices of vaccine distribution.
Government discussing the vaccine roll out plan
(Source: The Hindu)
The central government is hopeful that around 300-400 doses of the corona vaccine will be available in India by the middle of next year. The expert group on coronavirus is formulating strategies to plan out the distribution of vaccine distribution.
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, headed by Dr. VK Paul, a member at the NITI Aayog, is formulating strategies to plan on how to roll out the distribution of the vaccine in the country.
"The covid-19 vaccine will be first made available to those who need it the most irrespective of their economic or paying capacity" the health ministry told India Today. The listing of health care workers will be completed by the end of October or early November. The first tranche of 3 crores has been identified to be vaccinated. This would include about 70-80 lakh doctors, and around 2 crore health workers, sources in the health ministry said. People over 50 years of age and those less than 50 years of age but with co-morbidities will be vaccinated after the first tranche.
The administration intends to utilise the creative eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) organization to store and track the antibody and the advanced well-being ID to guarantee inoculation while depending on a similar course as the current act of antibodies appropriation under the Universal Immunization Program.
According to sources, the health ministry has said that the eVIN can track the latest vaccine stock position, the temperature at the storage facility, geotag health centres, and maintain facility-level dashboard is being repurposed for the delivery of the covid-19 vaccine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the vaccine distribution should be based on voter's registration exercise, so no one is left out. He also hinted that a 'Digital health ID' is likely to be used for ensuring the immunisation of every citizen. When accessible, the Covid-19 vaccine circulation follows a similar course concerning the current act of vaccine distribution under the Universal Immunisation Program.
Vaccine candidates in India: Four covid-19 vaccine trials are at different stages of the clinical trial in the country.
● Developed by Bharat Biotech International Related Limited along with the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology, Covaxin was the first indigenous vaccine candidate against Covid-19. It is currently in phase 2 of human trials in the nation.
● ZyCoV-D, developed by Zydus Cadilla began its stage 2 clinical trials in August.
● Serum Institute of India as of late initiated the last development clinical preliminary of the immunization created by the University of Oxford in the nation.
● Dr. Reddy Laboratories, an Indian drug organization, and RDIF (Russian Direct Investment Fund) have supposedly picked up the DCGI (Drug Control General of India) endorsement. The approval is related to the beginning of the Phase 2/3 clinical preliminary of Sputnik V, a Covid-19 vaccine, in India.
Sources: (India Today, The Hindu, Mint)
Edited by Shreya Gupta and Aditya Das