NEW DELHI: With three anti-Covid vaccines under regulatory review for emergency use, the government is preparing 28,947 cold chain points with 85,643 pieces of equipment across the country that are capable of storing the vaccines needed for the first set than 3 crore of health and frontline workers.
The Center is mobilizing additional vaccinators, a digital platform for vaccine delivery, and a detailed implementation plan to inoculate around 30 million priority inhabitants in the first phase which is expected to begin soon. The government is acquiring additional cold storage capabilities and the supply of equipment to states will start from December 10, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, describing the logistics of implementing the vaccine.
Bhushan said the National Covid-19 Vaccine Administration Expert Group (NEGVAC) has recommended three priority groups, numbering nearly 30 million people. These include frontline and healthcare workers, those over the age of 50, and those with comorbidities.
“All the Indians who need to be vaccinated will be vaccinated. The vaccination campaign, the largest of its kind, could last a year or more, ”said Bhushan, adding that priority groups do not need to run sequentially. Once the vaccine supply begins to increase, people in different groups can be inoculated simultaneously.
The Center is also organizing additional vaccines for Covid-19 in coordination with states and UT to ensure that regular vaccination programs are not affected. Out of a total of 2.39 lakh of trained auxiliary nurses and midwife vaccinators (ANM), 1.54 lakh will be deployed for Covid vaccination, the Health Ministry said.
The health secretary said that nine vaccines are currently being developed in the country, of which six are in the clinical trial stages. “Even after vaccination, precautions must be taken,” Bhushan said. “Additional procurement of syringes and needles is on the way along with technical training materials. Detailed implementation plans will be finalized with state governments in the coming days, “he added.
The Ministry of Health has developed Co-Win, a digital platform for the delivery of vaccines, which will monitor general coverage, dropouts, temperature recorders (for the cold chain), planned versus held sessions, etc. The digital platform includes a mobile application where a person can register to receive the vaccine. It also includes an electronic vaccination certificate in the form of a quick response code that will recognize the vaccine.
The government is putting in place a multi-level coordination mechanism between the Center, the national vaccine administration committee, the state-level steering committee, and district and block-level working groups. A control room established at the state level will operate 24×7 once the vaccination exercise begins.
The Center is mobilizing additional vaccinators, a digital platform for vaccine delivery, and a detailed implementation plan to inoculate around 30 million priority inhabitants in the first phase which is expected to begin soon. The government is acquiring additional cold storage capabilities and the supply of equipment to states will start from December 10, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, describing the logistics of implementing the vaccine.
Bhushan said the National Covid-19 Vaccine Administration Expert Group (NEGVAC) has recommended three priority groups, numbering nearly 30 million people. These include frontline and healthcare workers, those over the age of 50, and those with comorbidities.
“All the Indians who need to be vaccinated will be vaccinated. The vaccination campaign, the largest of its kind, could last a year or more, ”said Bhushan, adding that priority groups do not need to run sequentially. Once the vaccine supply begins to increase, people in different groups can be inoculated simultaneously.
The Center is also organizing additional vaccines for Covid-19 in coordination with states and UT to ensure that regular vaccination programs are not affected. Out of a total of 2.39 lakh of trained auxiliary nurses and midwife vaccinators (ANM), 1.54 lakh will be deployed for Covid vaccination, the Health Ministry said.
The health secretary said that nine vaccines are currently being developed in the country, of which six are in the clinical trial stages. “Even after vaccination, precautions must be taken,” Bhushan said. “Additional procurement of syringes and needles is on the way along with technical training materials. Detailed implementation plans will be finalized with state governments in the coming days, “he added.
The Ministry of Health has developed Co-Win, a digital platform for the delivery of vaccines, which will monitor general coverage, dropouts, temperature recorders (for the cold chain), planned versus held sessions, etc. The digital platform includes a mobile application where a person can register to receive the vaccine. It also includes an electronic vaccination certificate in the form of a quick response code that will recognize the vaccine.
The government is putting in place a multi-level coordination mechanism between the Center, the national vaccine administration committee, the state-level steering committee, and district and block-level working groups. A control room established at the state level will operate 24×7 once the vaccination exercise begins.
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