Although no vaccine in India against Covid-19 has received authorization for emergency use, the Center is in the final stage of preparing for the administration of the vaccine. The test for the administration of the vaccine will be carried out in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab starting next week, the government said. The trial exercise will allow the government to understand if there are any gaps in the entire process. “This will enable end-to-end mobilization and testing of the Covid-19 vaccination process (except the vaccine) and will verify the use of Co-WIN,” the government said. Co-WIN is the mobile application throughout the process that will be monitored online.
In Punjab, the trial will take place in Ludhiana and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.
The Comptroller General of Medicines of India is currently reviewing the applications of Bharat Biotech, Serum Institue and Pfizer, the three vaccine manufacturers that have applied for the go-ahead for emergency use. The go-ahead is likely to come in December. Vaccination is likely to start from January.
Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 will be voluntary, the Union Ministry of Health has said, although it will be advisable to receive a complete schedule of the coronavirus vaccine. In the first phase, healthcare workers, frontline workers, people over 50 years old, and people under 50 but with comorbidities will be vaccinated.
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