Government identifies one crore frontline health workers for Covid-19 vaccination

An estimated one crore frontline health workers will receive the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine whenever it becomes available, with around 92 per cent of government hospitals and 55 per cent of private hospitals across all states and UTs providing data identifying the workers, official sources told PTI.

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The anti-coronavirus vaccine, once available, would be distributed under a special Covid-19 inoculation programme, using the processes, technology and network of the existing Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). It would run parallel to the UIP.

The Centre, with the help of state and UT governments, has started the process of identifying around 30 crore priority beneficiaries who would be given vaccine dose in the initial phase, sources had said.

The government has demarcated four categories which include around 1 crore healthcare professionals including doctors, MBBS students, nurses and ASHA workers etc, around two crore frontline workers including municipal corporation workers, personnel of the police and armed forces, about 26 crore people aged above 50 and a special category of those below 50 with co-morbidities and requiring specialised care.

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Medicine, nursing students and faculty members will be involved in the training and implementation of the immunisation programme.

Health Ministry's existing digital platform eVIN which is being used for the UIP is being enhanced for the Covid-19 vaccine distribution and delivery, through which SMSs would be sent to recipients informing the time, date and venue to get the shots and digitally connect them and also track them, sources had earlier said.

Each person in the immunisation list would be linked with their Aadhar cards to avoid duplication and to track beneficiaries. However, in case a person doesn't have an Aadhar card, a government photo identity can be used, the sources said.

Currently, there are five vaccine candidates at different stages of development. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is in phase 3 of the trial by the Serum Institute. Bharat Biotech has begun phase 3 trials while Zydus Cadila has completed phase 2 trials. Russia’s Sputnik V in collaboration with Dr Reddy has just begun phase 2-3 trials. Biological E is in phase 1-2 trials.

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Additionally, 1,000 cold storage points have been added to the existing 28,000 points in government facilities for the storage of syringes and needles. Walk-in cooler, fridges and deep freezers are also being procured.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that a Covid-19 vaccine is likely to be available by the first quarter of 2021.

He had said that the Centre estimates to receive and utilise 40-50 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine covering around 25 crore people by July next year.

“The prioritisation of groups for Covid-19 vaccine shall be based on two key considerations -- occupational hazard and risk of exposure to infection, and the risk of developing severe disease and increased mortality,” he had said.