India has the experience of conducting elections in an admirably efficient manner. A similar mechanism will be put in place to deliver the vaccine.
The government has started preparation for delivery and distribution of the vaccine. Three vaccines are in advanced stages of development in India, out of which two are in Phase II and one in Phase-III.
Indian scientists and research teams are collaborating and strengthening the research capacities in Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are further requests from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Qatar and Bhutan for clinical trials in their countries, says Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. “Our efforts should not limit to the neighborhood but must reach the entire world in providing vaccines, medicines and IT platforms for vaccine delivery system,” he says.
National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) in consultation with State governments and all relevant stakeholders have prepared and presented a detailed blueprint of vaccine storage, distribution, and administration. The Expert Group in consultation with the States is working actively on vaccine prioritization and distribution of the vaccine.
The Prime Minister stressed that every step in the logistics, delivery, 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 vials, syringes etc.
India should put in place the administrative system and make use of the experience of successful conduct of elections and disaster management for delivery of the vaccine. This should involve the participation of States / Union Territories (s) / district level functionaries, civil society organizations, volunteers, citizens, and experts from all necessary domains.
The entire process should have a strong IT backbone and the system should be designed in such a manner to have a lasting value to our healthcare system. Two Pan India studies on the Genome of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19 virus) in India conducted by ICMR and Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) suggest that the virus is genetically stable and there is no major mutation in the virus.
