New Delhi: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan stated on Sunday (September 13, 2020) that India will have a vaccine ready by March 2021. He even offered to take the first injection himself to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if people have any ‘confidence deficits’.
“To allay fears about the safety aspect of vaccines, Harsh Vardhan said that he will be happy to take the first dose of the vaccine if some people have a confidence deficit,” the statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reads. .
Vardhan, while interacting with his social media followers using his Sunday platform ‘Samvad’, also reported that while no date has been set for the launch of the vaccine, it may be ready for the first quarter of 2021.
Thankful to thousands of you who wrote to me for #SundaySamvaad !
It’s great to have started a two-way communication with friends on social media. Learning a lot from conversations.
I hope we can keep up the pace and further strengthen the dialogue https://t.co/su977Pnzxk
– Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) September 13, 2020
He stated that the Government is taking every precaution when conducting the human trials of the vaccine and the National Group of Experts on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 under the Chairmanship of VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog is developing a strategy detailed information on how to immunize the majority of the population.
“Issues such as vaccine safety, cost, fairness, cold chain requirements, production timelines, etc. are also intensively debated,” he added.
He assured that the vaccine will first be made available to those who need it most, regardless of their ability to pay.
In addition, he said that the Government is considering the emergency authorization of COVID-19 vaccination, especially in the case of older people and people who work in high-risk environments. “This will be done after a consensus has been reached,” he said.
Elaborating on vaccine candidates and their development in India, he said that the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) as well as the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) have been proactive in responding to the emerging situation to support the advance. of vaccine candidates.
In particular, India is actively partnering with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and multi-phase trials are underway for various vaccines in laboratories (public or private) and hospitals in India.
The Minister also opined that a safe and effective vaccine will help establish immunity to COVID-19 at a much faster rate compared to natural infection.
“A consensus is expected to emerge in the coming months on the desired level of protective herd immunity in any community,” he said.
Harsh Vardhan also highlighted how the pandemic became a turning point for Indian manufacturing.
“From the time when there were no indigenous PPE manufacturers with the necessary standards, there are now almost 110 indigenous PPE manufacturers with the necessary standards. The country is in a position not only to meet its own demands, but also to export to help other nations, ”Vardhan said.
In order to make the cost of health care reasonable and affordable for the common man, Harsh Vardhan said that the government has directed all states and UT to set a reasonable price for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals.
“Free coverage of up to Rs 5 lakhs for COVID patients was announced for those who are eligible under the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY package.”
He added that the Central Government has also asked the States / UTs to proactively engage with private sector health providers and consider clustering in public and private health facilities, as this will help provide prompt medical care. , good quality and reasonable to Covid-19 patients. .
He himself has called on private hospitals to refrain from overcharging COVID patients, he said.
The Minister stressed that several measures have been taken to ensure the accessibility and affordability of all medicines and other therapies for all citizens, regardless of their ability to pay.
“The Government has become aware of the reports of alleged black marketing of drugs such as Remdesivir and has asked the Central Organization for the Control of Standard Medicines (CDSCO) to take appropriate measures against them together with their state counterparts.”
The Union Health Minister said the Center is aware of the evolving nature of the infection and emerging evidence of systemic health complications in infected people.
“AIIMS and other research institutions have been asked to conduct research to study the long-term impact of COVID. The ICMR is establishing a National Clinical Registry on COVID that will provide information on the clinical course of the COVID-19 disease, its spectrum and patient outcome. Consultations with expert groups are already underway to review emerging evidence and generate our own data on organ system-specific (respiratory, renal, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal) sequelae of COVID. “
He also said: “NDHM is one of the most ambitious missions of the Government of India and is poised to catapult India as a world leader in the field of digital health. However, there are vested interests that do not want India to succeed and are spearheading a disinformation campaign against NDHM. ”
Alleviating fears, he clarified that it is an absolute lie that access to hospitals is not allowed to those who do not enter this system.
“Those people or institutions that are not part of this system will continue to enjoy access to the health system in exactly the same way that they are doing now. Participation in the digital health ecosystem will be totally optional and will never be mandatory for people, ”said Harsh Vardhan.
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