Divulging details on India’s COVID-19 vaccination plans, Health Minister of India Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday informed that the Government is planning to receive and utilize 40-50 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses to cover around 20-25 crore people by July 2021.
The centre has also directed all the states to submit lists of priority population groups to receive the COVID-19 vaccine doses, especially health workers engaged in the management of COVID-19. The list of frontline health workers will include government as well as private-sector doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitary staff, ASHA workers, surveillance officers and many other occupational categories who are involved in tracing, testing and treatment of patients.
“Vaccine procurement is being done centrally and each consignment will be tracked in real-time. Priority will be given to frontline health care workers,” Dr. Vardhan said in the fourth edition of “Sunday Samvad”, his weekly social media interaction with the public.
The centre has also asked the states to submit details about cold chain facilities and other related infrastructure which will be required down to the block level, the health minister informed.
The government is keeping an eye on immunity data with regard to Covid-19 disease while finalising these plans, Vardhan said. “Our government is working round-the-clock to ensure that there is a fair and equitable distribution of vaccines, once they are ready. Our utmost priority is how to ensure a vaccine for each and everybody in the country,” he added.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan’s comments on vaccines come at a time when several vaccine candidates have entered the final phase of testing and trials. India has three vaccines in phase 2-3 trials, which are so far showing promising results.