NEW DELHI: An estimated one crore of front-line healthcare workers will receive the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available, with about 92 percent of government hospitals and 55 percent of private hospitals in all states and UT providing data that identifies workers. , said official sources.
Five vaccine candidates are in advanced stages of development in India, of which four are in Phase II / III and one in Phase I / II trials.
States have been asked to speed up the process of identifying frontline healthcare workers, including doctors, MBBS students, nurses, and ASHA workers, etc., so that the exercise is completed in another week.
It has asked the states to plan and map the vaccination sessions where health workers will be vaccinated during the first phase and map the human resources in the departments that could be deployed for the vaccination sessions for verification of beneficiaries, management of crowds and general coordination.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with senior ministers and other representatives from the union’s states and territories via video conference on Tuesday to discuss the vaccine distribution strategy, the sources said.
“About 92 percent of all government hospitals and 55 percent of all private hospitals in all states and UT have provided data. The rest of the details will arrive in another week. We have asked the states to expedite the process”. said an official source.
The coronavirus vaccine, once available, would be distributed under a special Covid -19 inoculation program, using the existing Universal Immunization Program (UIP) processes, technology and network. It would operate in parallel to the IPU.
The Center, with the help of state and UT governments, has started the process of identifying around 30 million priority beneficiaries who would receive the vaccine dose in the initial phase, the sources said.
The government has demarcated four categories including about 1 crore of healthcare professionals, including doctors, MBBS students, nurses, and ASHA workers, etc., about two crore of frontline workers, including workers from municipal corporations , police and armed forces personnel, about 26 crore of people over 50 years of age. and a special category of under 50s with comorbidities and requiring specialized care.
The existing digital platform of the Ministry of Health eVIN that is being used for the IPU is being improved for the distribution and delivery of the Covid -18 vaccine, through which SMS would be sent to the recipients informing the time, date and time. place to receive the vaccines and connect them digitally and also track them, sources previously said.
Each person on the vaccination list would be linked with their Aadhar cards to avoid duplication and track recipients. However, in case a person does not have an Aadhar card, a government photo ID can be used, the sources said.
Five vaccines are in different phases of clinical trial in India with the Serum Institute of India conducting the phase 3 trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine, while the Bharat Biotech and ICMR vaccine developed in the country has already Phase III clinical trial started.
The indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila has completed the phase -2 clinical trial in the country.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will soon begin combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian Covid -19 Sputnik V vaccine in India. Biological E. Ltd has begun the first phases 1 and 2 of human trials of its Covid -19 vaccine candidate.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that a Covid -19 vaccine is likely to be available by the first quarter of 2021.
He said the Center estimates receiving and using doses of 40 to 50 crore of Covid -19 vaccine covering around 25 crore of people by July of next year.
“Group prioritization for the Covid -19 vaccine will be based on two key considerations: occupational risk and risk of exposure to infections, and risk of developing severe disease and increased mortality,” he said.
Five vaccine candidates are in advanced stages of development in India, of which four are in Phase II / III and one in Phase I / II trials.
States have been asked to speed up the process of identifying frontline healthcare workers, including doctors, MBBS students, nurses, and ASHA workers, etc., so that the exercise is completed in another week.
It has asked the states to plan and map the vaccination sessions where health workers will be vaccinated during the first phase and map the human resources in the departments that could be deployed for the vaccination sessions for verification of beneficiaries, management of crowds and general coordination.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with senior ministers and other representatives from the union’s states and territories via video conference on Tuesday to discuss the vaccine distribution strategy, the sources said.
“About 92 percent of all government hospitals and 55 percent of all private hospitals in all states and UT have provided data. The rest of the details will arrive in another week. We have asked the states to expedite the process”. said an official source.
The coronavirus vaccine, once available, would be distributed under a special Covid -19 inoculation program, using the existing Universal Immunization Program (UIP) processes, technology and network. It would operate in parallel to the IPU.
The Center, with the help of state and UT governments, has started the process of identifying around 30 million priority beneficiaries who would receive the vaccine dose in the initial phase, the sources said.
The government has demarcated four categories including about 1 crore of healthcare professionals, including doctors, MBBS students, nurses, and ASHA workers, etc., about two crore of frontline workers, including workers from municipal corporations , police and armed forces personnel, about 26 crore of people over 50 years of age. and a special category of under 50s with comorbidities and requiring specialized care.
The existing digital platform of the Ministry of Health eVIN that is being used for the IPU is being improved for the distribution and delivery of the Covid -18 vaccine, through which SMS would be sent to the recipients informing the time, date and time. place to receive the vaccines and connect them digitally and also track them, sources previously said.
Each person on the vaccination list would be linked with their Aadhar cards to avoid duplication and track recipients. However, in case a person does not have an Aadhar card, a government photo ID can be used, the sources said.
Five vaccines are in different phases of clinical trial in India with the Serum Institute of India conducting the phase 3 trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine, while the Bharat Biotech and ICMR vaccine developed in the country has already Phase III clinical trial started.
The indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila has completed the phase -2 clinical trial in the country.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will soon begin combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian Covid -19 Sputnik V vaccine in India. Biological E. Ltd has begun the first phases 1 and 2 of human trials of its Covid -19 vaccine candidate.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that a Covid -19 vaccine is likely to be available by the first quarter of 2021.
He said the Center estimates receiving and using doses of 40 to 50 crore of Covid -19 vaccine covering around 25 crore of people by July of next year.
“Group prioritization for the Covid -19 vaccine will be based on two key considerations: occupational risk and risk of exposure to infections, and risk of developing severe disease and increased mortality,” he said.
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