Aim to vaccinate 250mn for Covid by July: Minister
Harsh Vardhan says states asked to give a list of their priority population groups by October-end
The Centre estimates to receive and utilise 400500 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine covering 200-250 million people by July next year and it is preparing a format for the states to submit by October-end their list of priority population group to receive the vaccine, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.
He said priority would be given to health workers engaged in Covid-19 management in getting the vaccine. During an interaction with his social media followers on ‘Sunday Samvad’ platform, he said a high-level expert group is going into all the aspects of vaccines and the health ministry is preparing a format in which states will submit lists of priority population groups. The list of frontline health workers will include both government as well as privatesector doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitary staff, ASHA workers, surveillance officers and many other occupational categories who are involved in tracing, testing and treatment of patients.
This exercise is targeted to be completed by the end of this October and the states are being closely guided to also submit details about cold chain facilities and other related infrastructure which will be required down to the block level, the minister said.
“The Centre is also working on plans for building capacities in human resources, training, supervision and others on a massive scale and roughly estimates to receive and utilise 400500 million doses covering approximately 20-25 crore people by July 2021. All this is under various stages of finalisation,” Vardhan said. He further informed his audience that the government is also keeping an eye on immunity data concerning Covid-19 disease while finalising these plans. “Our government is working round the clock to ensure that there is a fair and equitable distribution of vaccines, once they are ready. Our utmost priority is how to ensure a vaccine for each and everybody in the country,” Vardhan said.
The minister stated that a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Niti Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul is drawing up the entire process.
Vaccine procurement is being done centrally and each consignment will be tracked real-time until delivery to ensure it reaches those who need it most, he said.
The Union health minister added the panel is working on understanding the timelines of availability of various vaccines in the country, obtaining commitments from vaccine manufacturers to make available maximum number of doses for India inventory and supply chain management and also on prioritisation of high-risk groups.
“This is a work in progress which will be completed by the time the vaccines are ready to ensure the swift roll-out of an immunisation programme.” Assuring a social media follower that there would be no diversion or black-marketing of the vaccine, Vardhan said, “Vaccines will be distributed as per pre-decided priority and in a programmed manner. To ensure transparency and accountability, details of the entire process will be shared in the coming months.” He stressed on the need to prioritise healthcare workers and adults or those who have underlying health conditions. To a question regarding the phase-three clinical trial of Russia’s ‘Sputnik-V’ vaccine in India, Vardhan clarified that the matter was still under consideration, and no decision has been taken yet. To another question, he replied it is not possible to comment on the superiority of one vaccine over the other, but said, “Even if we have multiple vaccines available, they will all be safe and will elicit the requisite immune response against novel coronavirus.”
It was a global event for the benefit of frontline health care workers, but seven of the 25 medical and non-medical staff of Delhi’s Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals that participated in the fashion show in the hospital’s auditorium have since tested positive -- highlighting the perils of any event in these times.
Doctors, nurses, and nonmedical staff participated in a fashion show that was streamed online for a US television channel; the 25 people who walked the ramp practised for 10 days before the event in the hospital auditorium, where the event was recorded without an audience.
The participants used masks when they walked the ramp in pairs and threes, but did not wear them when they walked alone. The director of medical services Dr N Subramanian of the hospital also participated in the event , the hospital confirmed. He did not respond to calls seeking comment.
After the event, at least seven participants tested positive for Covid-19 over the week, including the organizer Dr MS Kanwar, who is a senior consultant of pulmonology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. “A private event for the benefit of Covid-19 frontline staff around the world was organized by a group of doctors. It was not a hospital event and was held virtually, keeping all safety precautions in place for lifting the morale of Covid-19 staff the world over, A few of the participants were later found to be positive as part of the hospitals’ rigorous testing protocols for the staff. Following this, necessary protocols, including quarantining, for Covid-19 staff turning positive were followed.
Patient care and staff safety were in no way compromised because of this event,” said Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.
Dr Kanwar, who tested positive on September 24, said the infections cannot be attributed to the show:
“Most of the people involved in the event were working in Covid-19 areas; I myself was working in the Covid ICU at the time. So many health care workers get the infection and it is not right to say that the event had anything to do with the people who tested positive. The whole point of the event was to show people, to allay their fears, that despite seven months of frontline duty there is another aspect of our lives. It was to give positive message to the people.”
On average, it takes about five days for symptoms to show. But four people familiar with the matter at the hospital confirmed