NEW DELHI, Jan 08, 2021 (BSS) – The healthcare professionals and frontline workers will be vaccinated first when the coronavirus vaccines will be made available in India soon, said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
The COVID-19 vaccines could be made available for India as early as the “next few days”…India has done well by developing the vaccines in a short time, he said as he reviewed the second mock drill of vaccine administration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu today.
Earlier on Tuesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told media that India is ready to roll out vaccine in the country within 10 days of “restricted emergency use” authorization approvals given by India’s drug regulatory authority on Jan 3.
The Indian health minister said the healthcare professional would be followed by frontline workers. “Lakhs of healthcare workers are being trained through these dry runs, and the process to train more is still going on.”
The second nationwide mock drill is underway today at three-session sites in 736 districts across 33 States and Union Territories (UTs). Around 1.7 lakh vaccinators and 3 lakh vaccination team members have been trained on the process to be followed at the vaccination sites.
The drill is being conducted to ensure efficient planning and management for vaccine delivery in each district of all states and UTs across the country, Indian health ministry sources said.
The first mock drill for corornavirus vaccines administration was held on January 2-3 in 265 districts in several states and Union Territories (UTs).
Meanwhile, India’s drug regulator’s authority approved two coronavirus vaccines- “Covishield and Covaxin” manufactured in India by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech for “restricted emergency use” on January 3.