Excellent study material for all civil services aspirants - begin learning - Kar ke dikhayenge!
SHARE:
HOW INDIA CAN CRACK THE VACCINE CHALLENGE
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- The first shots: The UK started vaccinating its people against Covid-19 in Dec 2020, and others are racing to do it. India has started publicly discussing the matter, and a priority list of groups to be vaccinated is out. The scale is humongous - 70 crore in 12 months. Done well, India's image will improve sharply on health front.
- Vaccine capacity of India: If 70 crore are to be vaccinated, then 140 crore doses are needed (for two-dose vaccines). Since India has a huge vaccine production capacity, it is well-placed. The world's biggest vaccine-maker is an India - the Serum Institute of India (SII). It's producing the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and will do the Novavax too. Others are Zydus Cadila, Bharat BioTech, Dr Reddy's etc.
- Which vaccine to choose: Various vaccines are based on various technologies, making it complex. Three types are - messenger RNA, adenovirus and regular inactivated virus types.
- Each will have a different efficacy, side effects and impacts
- Most of these won't be even fully known during final approval process
- So the right thing is to use multiple vaccines, and track the outcome systemically over time
- Tracking of individuals: An effective tracking will help identify actual issues with the vaccines, which may have escaped attention earlier during approval. Then the less effective vaccines can be weeded out.
- Supply of vaccines: The actual order status is not yet known, but it may run into more than a billion doses. As for funding the programme, the question of "free versus paid" is unresolved. Perhaps the best is to have a free public programme, and a paid private one, on separate tracks. The public one must be run totally by central govt. at its own cost, and states will chip in with their shares. Centre may have to spare Rs.35000 cr at least.
- Roles to play: Centre says only it will procure vaccines. It will also naturally vaccinate central govt. employees, military personnel and key functionaries. This may take upto 1 crore doses initially. Then the bulk of supply has to go to the States.
- Actual identification of individuals in priority groups will happen here
- Older people with co-morbidities need to be identified - it's a problem as there's no database. Self-declaration is the only way out
- Transparent distribution will be critical
- Three criteria will be important - (i) proportion of total population, (ii) proportion of new Covid cases, (iii) Covid deaths. These 3 can be used together or separately.
- Covid versus Polio: The oral drops for Polio inoculation were easy to deliver, but the intramuscular injection for Covid will need trained nurses, already in short supply. It will be unwise to uproot them from regular work. Now is the right time to begin training staff (other than nurses) to do it. Central guidelines must be flexible enough to allow States enough leeway to modify local plans.
- Who will vaccinate: While many countries have a National Health Service, India's case is different as the private sector dominates healthcare. So govt. hospitals cannot be the only places to do the job. Governments may think of using private testing labs, and pharmacists, as per set rules and procedures. The choice will lie with the citizens - go to govt. hospitals to get it for free, or pay at private centres.
- Special cases: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may not be used nationally, as they need special storage and are costly. But private sector can import, and offer at a price. With time, availability will be easier and better.
- Developed nations may tone down their procurement with time
- Not all domestic production may be bought by Indian governments
- Private companies: Many may want to vaccinate their entire workforce on their own. Let them use CSR funds for it. The govt. may avoid putting price controls on vaccines sold to private firms. And many individuals may choose to fly abroad to get vaccinated.
- Safety aspect: Developed nations are worried that perhaps the regulators have hurried too much in approving these vaccines ("emergency authorisation"). Since vaccines are not mandatory, but voluntary, it is important to communicate really well now.
* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.
COMMENTS