Centre asks chief ministers to decide vaccines quantity they need on priority

NEW DELHI: Each chief minister was asked on Tuesday to closely analyse the Covid-19 situation in their respective states and communicate to the Centre how many vaccine shots they would need on priority.
The states were advised to work closely through their state steering committees with the National Expert Group on the same.The Centre had told states that it had estimated about 30 crore people would be in the provisional priority list for the vaccine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Tuesday’s meeting asked all the chief ministers to submit their suggestions in writing soon in this regard.

States are now expected to draw up confirmed lists of frontline workers (medical personnel, policemen, sanitation workers, etc.), people above 65 years of age and those with comorbidities for priority vaccination. The lists need to be submitted to the Centre so that a consolidated strategy for vaccinating all is firmed up. States are also expected to constitute a three-tier structure with a state-level steering committee headed by the state chief secretary, a state-level task force and district-level task forces comprising all senior district level administrative and medical officials for the storage, distribution and administration strategy of the Covid-19 vaccine whenever it is ready. The PM also told the states to prepare the strategy of having more cold storages and ensure that the vaccine distribution chain reaches the block level. The states can now set up block-level task forces too.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said the database for prioritised vaccination of health workers was ready and directed officials to look at other categories of frontline workers who could be prioritised for the vaccine. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has also directed his officials to prepare the list of required cold chain equipment to be submitted to the Centre. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered for steps to be taken to streamline arrangements of transportation, dry stock, cold chain space, setting up new cold chains and training for vaccination. Chouhan had informed the PM on Tuesday that the health staff had already been given the training for vaccination. States will also rope in NSS and NCC personnel in the vaccine delivery strategy. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath told the PM that he has directed that all arrangements for the vaccine delivery should be completed by December 15.