COVID-19 vaccine | India to vaccinate 25-30 crore on priority by July 2021

Authorities are gearing up to vaccinate at least 25-30 crore Indians, including about three crore healthcare and frontline workers, against COVID-19 by July 2021, the Hindustan Times reported. For this, they are looking to procure 50-60 crore doses of potential vaccines.

The vaccination exercise is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2021 when vaccines are made available for use in high numbers.

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The Centre’s national vaccine committee on COVID-19 has prioritised different categories for inoculation. Healthcare and frontline workers, citizens above the age of 65, then those between 50-65 years of age, followed by those below 50 years of age with chronic diseases are to be given vaccines sequentially on priority, the report suggests.

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The Union Health Ministry has reportedly asked states to set up committees to monitor and coordinate the exercise at the ground level to ensure there is minimum disruption to other routine healthcare services. This includes forming committees at district levels.

During his virtual meeting with state representatives on November 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the distribution strategy for COVID-19 vaccines will be chalked out in 'collective coordination' with the states.

PM Modi had said that the development of potential vaccines was being monitored closely and that the Centre was in touch with global regulators, companies and other governments.

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The prime minister had said it is unclear whether there will be one, two or three doses of a vaccine given to the masses, but urged states to focus on adding more cold storage facilities. The pricing of the vaccine has also not been decided yet, he said.

As of November 25, India’s COVID-19 tally stood at 92.2 lakh. Of these, 86.4 lakh patients had recovered. While there were 4.4 lakh ‘active’ cases, the country’s death toll from the outbreak had risen to 1.3 lakh.

While India has reported less than 50,000 daily COVID-19 cases for some time now, some states are showing resurgence in the number of infections. Rapid and effect inoculation is being seen as the only way to end the pandemic.