India’s jumbo-sized rollout in numbers
300mn people
Over the coming months, India aims to inoculate around a quarter of the population, or 300mn people. They include healthcare workers, people aged over 50 and those at high risk.
The government aims to manage the entire process digitally with its own app, CoWIN, which will link every vaccine dose to its recipient.
45,000 fridges
India has four ‘mega depots’ to take delivery of the vaccines and transport them to state distribution hubs in temperature-controlled vans, keeping the doses colder than 8°C. A total of 29,000 cold-chain points, 240 walkin coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers and 300 solar fridges are at the ready.
3 seconds
To stop any of the vials being stolen and being sold on India’s large drugs black market, authorities are taking no chances, with armed police guarding every truck.
CCTVs are in place at warehouses with entry subject to fingerprint authentication. Automated data loggers will monitor storage temperature and transfer messages every three seconds to a central unit, according to the Times of India.
“Security measures are essential to not only address the issue of logistics and safety but also build confidence in people that the supply chain is intact,” Preeti Kumar, a public health specialist, said.
per dose
India has ordered an initial 11mn doses of Covishield, AstraZeneca’s vaccine made by India’s Serum Institute, at R200 (US$2.74) each, and 5.5mn doses of Covaxin at R206 each.
The government approved ‘emergency use’ of Covaxin, made by India’s Bharat Biotech, that is yet to complete the phase 3 human trials for which, Indians who were given this shot on Saturday were given a consent form to sign that made clear that its ‘clincal efficacy... is yet to be established’.
69% in no hurry
A recent survey of 18,000 people across India found that 69 per cent were in no rush to get a COVID-19 shot, in part due to public scepticism fuelled by online disinformation.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan took to social media to dispel some of the doubts.
1 plane from Brazil
Other developing countries are banking on India for getting vaccines, and Brazil wanted to send a plane to India this weekend to collect 2mn doses from Serum.
But President Jair Bolsonaro said that ‘political pressure’ by India had postponed the flight.
Serum chief Adar Poonawalla said it would supply Brazil in two weeks.