Three Covid vaccines have requested authorization for emergency use in India (Representational)
New Delhi:
Protocols have been established for the management of adverse reactions – minor, serious or serious – to the coronavirus vaccine, the government said at a press conference held Tuesday night, as it admitted that there is always “the possibility of a adverse event “after immunization.
The government said the rules, published as part of vaccination campaign guidelines that include limiting vaccinations per session and 30 minutes of on-site monitoring after injection, are necessary as the vaccines had been designed for adults, while that the existing mechanisms were intended for children.
“Post-immunization adverse events are critical. Even during universal immunization, which has been going on for decades, some adverse effects are seen in children and pregnant women. Therefore, we cannot deny the possibility of an adverse event. “Said Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, adding that adverse effects had already been reported in countries where vaccination had been started.
“Therefore, it is critical that the states and territories of the union prepare for this as well,” he added.
As part of the adverse event mechanisms, state governments will establish at least one AEFI center (Adverse Event Post Immunization) in each block.
Additionally, primary health care facilities, community health centers, and private medical facilities would also function as AEFI management centers, and vaccination data from each session would be uploaded using the Co-WIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence) digital platform. Network) of the government.
Other measures include asking states to avoid mixing different vaccines whenever possible.
The government has also established a multi-level mechanism to monitor the vaccination campaign at different levels, and said 36 states and union territories had already held more than 600 meetings.
“There are a large number of beneficiaries that need to be addressed in a short period of time, so it is a bigger challenge,” said Dr. VK Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog government think tank.
Dr Paul also said the government was aware of reports of yeast infections in recovered Covid patients at a Delhi hospital. “New things are constantly being discovered with the disease,” he said, adding that the center’s doctors would take the necessary steps.
Today’s press conference also discussed the issue of cold chain management, crucial as the vaccine developed by the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer must be kept at -70 degrees Celsius to remain effective.
The government said guidelines had been issued to manage cold chains and end-of-chain cold spots (or vaccine delivery locations. 240 cold rooms, 70 cold rooms, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 freezers and 300 Solar coolers will be used in vaccination sites and storage centers.
The COVID-19 vaccine will be offered first to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people over 50 years of age, followed by people under 50 with associated comorbidities, and finally to the rest of the population according to epidemiology disease and vaccine availability.
With input from PTI
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