advertisement
“Who will get the COVID-19 vaccine first in India?” a question that everybody has been asking. While countries like the UK and the US have kicked off their vaccination drives, Serum Institute of India's (SII) Adar Poonawalla has made 2021 look hopeful by saying that COVID vaccination in India is likely to begin by January 2021.
Good news! That's next month! BUT, does that mean you and I can get the vaccine within a month? Not necessarily!
The government has set up National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, or NEGVAC, to come up with a plan to identify priority groups across states, and they will decide on the following aspects.
According to SOPs released by the Centre recently, in the first phase, the vaccine will be administered to:
The population in the age group of 50 and above – identified at around 26.5 crore – will be prioritised in every state, since the coronavirus has proved fatal, largely for the people in this age group.
Naturally, states with more people in the 50+ age group will be prioritised, compared to others. According to the census projections and the National Family Health Survey 2019-20, cited by a Times of India report, the top five states with the highest population aged 50+ are:
But there's a catch! So, states with a higher percentage of people above 50 years of age, with respect to the state's population, will be given priority. For example, Bihar's population is more than twice to that of Tamil Nadu, but the latter is likely to get more doses first. This is because it has more percentage of elderly citizens than Bihar has.
Another very important factor, which will be considered, is:
States with a higher percentage of people with co-morbidities, like diabetes, hypertension, etc., will be prioritised, since COVID-19 has proved fatal for people with these diseases. However, states with a higher percentage of people with chronic illnesses will also be given priority, regardless of whether the person suffering from any of those conditions is above 50 years of age or below.
So, for example, states like Maharashtra and Kerala will also be prioritised due to the higher number of recognised citizens who currently have diabetes.
Other than the elderly, the COVID-19 vaccine will also be given first to:
Frontline workers include police, home guard, prison staff, municipal workers, civil defence, disaster management workers, etc.
According to the SOPs released by the government for vaccine centres:
While more clarity on vaccines from the Centre and all other concerned stakeholders is still awaited, the mere fact that preparations are underway and in full swing is a reason to hope for a better 2021!
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)