New Delhi: Amid the rise of COVID cases in India, the country has started identifying around 30 crore priority beneficiaries, including high-risk population and first responders — from healthcare workers to police, sanitation workers as well as the elderly and people with co-morbidities — who will likely receive an estimated 60 crore vaccine doses.
According to a report published in Times of India, the shots, which include the booster dose, are planned for the initial phase once a vaccine is approved for use. The list has four categories — around 50-70 lakh healthcare professionals, over two crore frontline workers, including police, municipal workers and armed forces, about 26 crore persons above 50 years of age and another set aged less than 50 but with co-morbidities.
In India, there are three vaccine candidates undergoing human trials and of these, the Oxford-AstraZeneca candidate is in the most advanced stage in Phase 3 and Pune-based Serum Institute is conducting trials in India.
The government of India recently said it’s Phase 3 data will be available around November-end or early December.
The report added that a draft of the implementation plan drawn by the national expert group on vaccine administration for COVID has worked on inputs received by central agencies and the states.
The group, headed by Niti Aayog member Dr V K Paul and co-chaired by health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, has studied allocations for early-phase vaccinations proposed by the CDC, Atlanta and the WHO while charting India’s framework for equitable and need-based access, the report said.
Earlier, India’s Health Minister said that plan aims to cover over 23% of the population in the first phase.
Quoting officials, the report said that experts’ committee has estimated a 70-lakh healthcare workforce from the government as well as private sector. This includes 11 lakh MBBS doctors and 8 lakh Ayush practitioners; 15 lakh nurses, 7 lakh ANMs and 10 lakh ASHA workers.
“The list includes 7-8 lakh allied healthcare professionals and others, like sanitation workers, ambulance workers and hospital security. “We are in the process of identifying these beneficiaries and the final list will be ready by October-end or early November,” the report quoted officials as having said.
The draft plan, according to the report, also includes over 2 crore frontline workers, including 45 lakh police and related forces at the central and state levels along with home guards and 15 lakh people from the armed forces. Besides, 1.5 crore municipal workers and frontline teams involved in community services, like public transport drivers, cleaners and teachers, have also been identified.
According to the estimate, 26 crore people are over 50 years of age and younger persons with conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, chronic kidney failure, lung disease, cancer and liver diseases are also being identified to receive the vaccine on priority.
“Considering the overlaps in certain categories, we have estimated that a total of 550-600 million doses of the vaccine will be required initially for the priority population,” the report the officials furthering saying.
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