CHENNAI: In the shortest possible time, India has done extremely well on the vaccine-development front, and the Centre is working to ensure the vaccine reaches the entire population in the near future, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday, adding that healthcare workers will be given priority. He made this statement while reviewing the dry run of Covid vaccination drive in Chennai.
Speaking at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), the minister explained that after healthcare staff, frontline workers, policemen, army and paramilitary personnel, and sanitary workers in containment zones will receive the vaccine. After them will be people above the age of 50 years and those with co-morbidities.
The minister also requested NGOs and young NCC and NSS workers to help in the vaccination drive and mobilisation of potential beneficiaries. After reviewing the dry-run sites in Chennai, Harsh Vardhan said Tamil Nadu meticulously followed the Centre’s guidelines in making arrangements for the vaccination programme. He also appreciated the State for conducting 100 per cent RT-PCR tests.
“We started the preparations for the impending vaccination drive four to five months ago. Lakhs of healthcare workers have been trained. We also converted the electronic vaccine intelligence network (eVIN) into a Co-WIN platform, tracking the details of potential beneficiaries, the place where they are likely to get vaccinated, granting electronic certificates, sending text messages and reminders,” Harsh Vardhan explained.
The dry run of the vaccination drive was conducted across the country except in three States that conducted it earlier. The Union government also made amendments to its guidelines after receiving inputs from States on the dry run, the minister said.
One year of Covid-19
Harsh Vardhan said that on January 6, 2020, the WHO informed the world about the coronavirus, which was reported in China on December 31, 2019 and was causing pneumonia. India was probably the first to take note of it, and on January 8, 2020, the Centre called for a meeting of experts in the Health Ministry, he said.
“India has the highest recovery rate and lowest fatality rate. Out of 1.4 crore patients, over one crore recovered. We started our journey with one testing lab, and after a year, India has 2,300 of them. We are even exporting PPE kits, N95 masks, drugs, ventilators and testing kits. This is because of the inspiration given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development of Atma Nirbhar Bharat,” Harsh Vardhan said.
Pulse polio immunisation
The minister said National Immunisation Day Against Polio will be observed on January 17, and it must be ensured that all children below the age of five years receive two drops of polio vaccine on that day.
“All countries have eradicated polio, but two of our neighbouring countries still have poliomyelitis-P1 strain... Our population always remains at risk,” Harsh Vardhan said.
No dis tric t le ft ouout
Dry runs for administration of the Covid-19 vaccine were conducted in all districts of Tamil Nadu on Friday. Here are the highlights
● 5 centres in Tiruchy and 10 in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts witnessed the exercise
● 35,000 healthcare workers in Coimbatore registered to get vaccinated
● 15,000 frontline workers in Vellore to receive the vaccine
● 10 venues in Salem district witnessed the dry run