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India’s experience in conducting elections and disaster management should be put to use in managing Covid-19 vaccine delivery. The administration, experts, and officials, including those at village panchayat level, civil society movements and citizen volunteers should work in tandem to make vaccine administration successful, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi, who chaired a review meeting on the Covid-19 pandemic situation and preparedness of vaccine delivery, distribution and administration, noted the steady decline in daily Covid-19 cases and growth rate.
The review meeting was attended by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan; Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, K VijayRaghavan; and NITI Aayog Member (Health) Vinod K Paul, among others, an official statement said.
Clinical trials
Currently, three vaccines are in advanced stages of development in India, out of which two are in Phase II and one is in Phase-III trials. Indian research teams are collaborating and strengthening research capacities in neighbouring countries. There are further requests from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Qatar and Bhutan for clinical trials in their countries, the statement said.
Modi informed officials at the meeting that the cooperation should be not be restricted to immediate neighbourhood, but instead India should reach out to the entire world, with vaccines, medicines and IT platforms for vaccine delivery system.
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC), which prepared a detailed blueprint of vaccine storage, distribution and administration, in consultation with State governments and all other stakeholders, presented the same before the Prime Minister.
Modi also said the entire process of vaccine logistics should have a strong IT backbone and the system should be designed to add lasting value to our healthcare system.
He said access to the vaccine in the country should be ensured speedily. The Prime Minister stressed that every step in the logistics and administration should be put in place rigorously. It must include advanced planning of cold storage chains, distribution network, monitoring mechanism, advance assessment, and preparation of ancillary equipment required, such as vails, and syringes.
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