Every Adult Indian Can Get Vaccine From May 1: Govt Issues These Directives (How To Register?)

Guidelines on the “effective implementation of the New Vaccination Strategy” have been issued to the states as well as union territories as the third phase of vaccination is around the corner.

Ahead of India’s third phase of vaccination on May 1, the country has seen a lethal surge in number of cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

In order to combat the virus and the havoc that it is creating, a high level meeting was chaired by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Dr RS Sharma, the chairperson of the empowered group on technology and data management to combat Covid-19. In this meeting, plans to ramp up the existing hospital and clinical treatment infrastructure by the states as well as union territories was reviewed.

In the government’s latest inoculation drive, all adults will be eligible for the vaccine which will be sold in the market from May 1.

With this, India has become one of the first countries which have allowed all adults to undergo the vaccination.

The manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines are free to supply 50 per cent doses to states and in the open market. However, the pricing of these must be declared before May 1.

Guidelines Issued To The State

1. In “mission mode”, states have been asked to register additional private Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) by engaging with private hospitals, hospitals of industrial establishments, industry associations, etc, coordinating with designated appropriate authority, mechanism for applications or requests and their processing and monitoring of pendency of registration.
2. States are to monitor the number of hospitals which have procured vaccines and have declared stocks and prices on COWIN.
3. Schedule vaccination for those eligible for providing adequate visibility of vaccination slots on COWIN.
4. Decision regarding the direct procurement of vaccines will have to be prioritised.
5. The facility of ‘only online registration’ for age groups 18-45 year must be publicised by states
6. Train CVC staff about vaccination, Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) reporting and management and the use of COWIN.
7. For effective crowd management at CVCs, coordinate with law-and-order authorities.

In the light of the daily new cases and rising fatality, states have been asked to review their existing hospital as well as Covid treatment infrastructure.

A Comprehensive Plan For Augmentation:

1. Identification of additional dedicated Covid-19 hospitals as well as preparing the field hospital facilities either through DRDO, CSIR or similar agencies in the public and private sector.
2. Centralized call centre-based services for allocation of beds and ensuring the adequacy in terms of oxygen supported beds, ICU beds and oxygen supplies.
3. Deploy trained human resources, mentor doctors and nurses for management of patients and strengthen ambulance services.
4. For the districts with deficit infrastructure, establish sufficient referral linkages through the deployment of additional ambulances.
5. Set up centralised call centre-based services for allocation of beds.