Samiran Panda | What we need to do to make Covid-19 vaccination programme a success
Published Feb 8, 2021, 1:02 am IST
Updated Feb 8, 2021, 1:17 am IST
We need a concerted effort from the government, experts, thought leaders as well as community groups urging people to trust the science
The solution is to work together, and think on our feet, as is required during a pandemic. (Photo: PTI)
The new year has begun on a promising note. January 16, 2021 is a day that will go down in history as India begins one of the largest vaccination drives the world has ever seen against Covid-19, the virus that has wreaked havoc on the lives and livelihoods of people across the globe over the past year. To develop not one, but two, vaccines in such a short span of time is truly a testament to the commitment and ability of Indian scientists. Now, as the long and arduous task of delivery of vaccines begins, we must work together to ensure that the vaccines reach all who are most at risk acr
165 lakh COVID vaccine doses procured so far at cost of Rs 350.25 crore: MoS Health Ashwini Choubey
The existing infrastructure under Universal Immunization Programme is being used and simultaneously strengthened for deployment of vaccines, including storage and transportation.
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NEW DELHI: A total of 165 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin - have been procured so far at a cost of Rs 350.25 crore, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey told Lok Sabha on Friday.
Giving out the details of the number of vaccines already procured by the government, Choubey, in a written reply, said only two vaccines namely Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited have so far been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situation by the Drugs Controller General of India.
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The State has received 17,18,240 doses of the two vaccines Covishield and Covaxin.
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K. MURALI KUMAR Karnataka, which tops the list of States with the highest COVID-19 vaccination cover for healthcare workers so far, has recorded an average vaccine wastage of 6% on a daily basis till now. A total of 3,14,907 healthcare workers have been vaccinated in Karnataka so far.
State health officials said this wastage is far lower than the permissible wastage of 10% for the vaccine. As this is a new vaccine, an open vial policy is not applicable. The Centre has, in its vaccination guidelines issued to States, said that all opened vials should be used within four hours. If not, the opened vials should be discarded after hours or at the end of the session, the guidelines stated.
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Pulse Polio 2021: President Kovind launches countrywide programme. All you need to know about Polio Ravivar
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday launched the Pulse Polio Programme for 2021 by administering polio drops to children less than five years old at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, in the presence of Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. The President and First Lady Savita Kovind administered polio drops to children on the eve of the Polio National Immunization Day, which is observed on the 31st January 2021 (Sunday), also popularly known as Polio Ravivar.
How India can meet the Covid vaccine distribution challenge
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Apart from ramping up the cold-chain storage infrastructure, advanced technology like blockhain and IoT will need to used to track the supplies, prevent counterfeiting and ensure last-mile delivery
Covid-19 vaccine has been the most anticipated product launch ever, and going wrong in the supply chain for this one is not an option. As billions of people eagerly await vaccination over the coming months and years, it will arguably be the most complex large-scale logistical exercise the world has ever witnessed.
India, as the largest global supplier of drugs and producer of 60 per cent of the world’s vaccines, is known as the “pharmacy of the world”. Today, the country is playing an increasingly important role in the development, manufacturing and, possibly, the distribution of this all-important vaccine.