- The nationwide vaccination roll-out will take place from January 16 in two phases.
- Priority would be given to Corona warriors, including health workers, army, safai karamcharis, disaster management team, followed by frontline workers.
- The Centre will fund the vaccine shots for the 3 crore priority population.
THD NewsDesk, New Delhi: In a meeting with Chief ministers of state held on January 11, Prime Minister Narendra discussed the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination program conducted in India. The Prime Minister made it clear that priority will be given to Corona warriors, excluding people’s representatives, followed by frontline health workers.
Moreover, the Centre has stepped in to help the state governments financially by choosing to sponsor 3 crore vaccine shots in the first phase of the vaccination drive. The Prime Minister has assured that both the vaccines, Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, would be cost-effective and reliable.
Further, the Prime Minister has focused on three critical aspects of the administration of the vaccine:
- Ensuring that data are uploaded in real-time for effective monitoring of beneficiaries
- Curbing rumors and misinformation about the vaccine
- Ensuring effective reporting of adverse events, if any, after vaccination.
“The most important thing will be to identify and monitor the beneficiaries who have to be vaccinated. For this, we will be using modern technology; using Aadhaar; we will identify the beneficiaries. I request that real-time data generated during the vaccination should be uploaded on the Co-Win platform. The states have to ensure this. Even a small glitch can damage this mission,” he said in a statement.
Focusing on the need to involve self-help groups and non-profit organizations, Modi said, “Another critical thing is that every state and Union Territory will have to ensure there is no vaccine-related rumor or misinformation. The exercise cannot be based on ifs and buts. A certain section wants to create some barriers; there is corporate competition. We have to ensure that the right information is disseminated to the citizen. We have to involve religious organizations, the social sector, self-help groups”.
Addressing the questions of how the beneficiaries of the vaccine would be tracked, PM Modi said, “From this certificate, we will know who has received the dose; and it will act as a reminder of when the second dose has to be administered. After the second dose, a final digital certificate will be generated”.
“If someone experiences an adverse reaction after vaccination, we have built mechanisms to address this. We already have a mechanism in the universal immunization program; for Covid-19 vaccination, we have strengthened it further”, he said on the issue of probable side-effects of the vaccine candidates.
“We can imagine that our country would have been in a difficult situation had we been entirely dependent on vaccines being developed abroad. Our vaccines have been developed keeping our domestic requirements in mind,” he added, emphasizing the pros of a self-reliant India.
“India’s experience in vaccination will be beneficial during the Covid-19 vaccination. After detailed discussions with the states, we have finalized the priority groups. Our effort is first to vaccinate the groups directly involved in protecting our citizens’ health; our health workers, safai karmacharis, the Army, disaster management volunteers,… will be vaccinated in the first phase. The Centre will bear the expenses for vaccinating the 3 crore priority population,” Modi said.
“In the second phase, those above the age of 50 and under the age of 50 with associated co-morbidities will be vaccinated. The new SOPs [emerging from the dry runs] have to be merged with the old SOPs. Our universal immunization program is being implemented successfully; we also have the experience of conducting the world’s largest elections. The booth strategy implemented during elections has been used in this vaccination drive,” he said.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly reminded the concerned authorities of the responsibility that lies on their shoulders and that the whole world will be looking up to India’s immunization program. Therefore, the vaccination roll-out that is due to start on January 16 will be conducted in two phases, and only post the first phase, the government will gain more insight.
Source – Indian Express