Vaccine Discrimination Strategy

Every Govt./ Every Kingdom is procuring vaccines for its citizens/population on its own to be administered at the Govt.’s cost as it is pandemic. Like our PM says, once in a century pandemic. Why is it that Govt. of India is dragging its feet on vaccination? Our Govt. always plays hockey with data is known to everybody. But this time, they are playing ping pong with States as if the citizens represented by Centre and State are two different set of individuals. Especially when India is amongst the top 5 worst handlers of the virus in the world. May be it is about Modiji being loyal to his friend, Mr Doland Trump (Not Donald, as that is how our PM likes to call him).

 

On April 18, 2021, when Corona cases had jumped 2.75 Lakh for the day with 1600+ deaths and our PM was lauding the efforts of the public to attend his rally in West Bengal and expressing his pleasure to see the huge turnout of crowds. The States were making clamour for more vaccines as they had to reach out to its respective citizens with answers to problems and not an explanation for failure to deal with the problem. Perhaps some CMs were just posturing to care which the case may not be.

Barely 50 days with the modified rules of the new Vaccination Program, the policy stands scrapped and new policy has replaced with the old one. Will we witness further changes into the Vaccination Policy, especially because Centre plays dumb down with MoHFW focused on Congress rather than vaccines or perhaps that’s the case with the every Minister of Govt.

 

The arbitrary and irrational vaccination guidelines were framed after receiving the letter from former PM, Dr. Mute Singh. Apparently he is not mute in Opposition and while as PM, his work did the talk rather than tongue. Lets look at what Dr. Singh said and what our Govt. did in response.

First, the government should publicize what are the firm orders for doses placed on different vaccine producers and accepted for delivery over the next six months. If we want to vaccinate a target number in this period, we should place enough orders in advance so that producers can adhere to an agreed schedule of supply.

 

To counter, Data is not the strong forte of our Govt. under Modi. Though their party is empowered with data at every booth level during elections. Govt. has given some numbers of orders placed and we know it will keep revising over the next few months to create total confusion to the already chaos created by our Govt. Guidelines and circulars for gag orders to States on Vaccine stocks have been issued in second week of June.

 

Second, the government should indicate how this expected supply will be distributed across states based on a transparent formula. The central government could retain 10 percent for distribution based on emergency needs, but other than that, states should have a clear signal of likely availability so that they can plan their roll out.

 

On empowerment of States for vaccination, Govt. of India has over extended itself. To bring transparency, Central Govt. developed a quota system and made an effort to wash their hands from vaccine procurement process. The Govt. said, “Manufacturers would transparently make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to State Governments and in open market, before May 1”.

 

Dr Manmohan Singh is talking about distribution process and our Govt. understood it as procurement process. In addition, they have further allayed the process on private hospitals. The quota system of supplies between the Government of India and “other than Government of India” channels would be applicable “uniformly across for all vaccines manufactured in the country”.

 

Third, states should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age. For example, states may want to designate school teachers, bus, three-wheeler and taxi drivers, municipal and panchayat staff, and possibly lawyers who have to attend Courts as frontline workers. They can then be vaccinated even if they are below 45.

 

On this point, our Govt. agreed fully; so Govt. responded with the change. States have been given the authority to take a call to open vaccination to any category of people above the age of 18 — a shift from the current policy in which the central government decides on age-specific priority groups for vaccination.

 

Fourth, over the past few decades, India has emerged as the largest vaccine producer in the world, thanks to policies adopted by the government and robust intellectual property protection. The capacity is largely in the private sector. At this moment of a public health emergency, the Government of India must proactively support vaccine producers to expand their manufacturing facilities quickly by providing funds and other concessions. In addition, I believe this is the time to invoke the compulsory licensing provisions in the law, so that a number of companies are able to produce the vaccines under a licence. This, I recall, had happened earlier in the case of medicines to deal with the HIV/AIDS disease. As far as Covid-19 is concerned, I have read that Israel has already invoked the compulsory licensing provision and there is an overwhelming case for India to do so as well quickly.

 

On this point, Govt. has extended advance payments to vaccine manufacturers, which they had to pay in any case, but there is no support from Govt.’s end. On compulsory licensing issue, the Govt. does not want to wrong signal to the investing community and they would continue to put all their eggs in two baskets of two domestic manufacturers. Let’s see for how long they drag their feet. Govt. gave affidavit in SC that it is not tenable but the PM is asking for TRIPS waiver in G7 summit for all Covid related medicines/vaccines.

 

Fifth, since domestic supplies are limited, any vaccine that has been cleared for use by credible authorities such as the European Medical Agency or the USFDA, should be allowed to be imported without insisting on domestic bridging trials. We are facing an unprecedented emergency and, I understand, experts are of the view that this relaxation is justified in an emergency. The relaxation could be for a limited period during which the bridging trials could be completed in India. All consumers of such vaccines could be duly cautioned that these vaccines are being allowed for use based on the approval granted by the relevant authority abroad.

 

In response, the Centre has allowed imported, fully ready-to-use vaccines to be entirely utilised in the other-than-Government of India channel. This means that if and when pharma giants like Pfizer bring their vaccines to India, they can directly sell their entire supply in the open market at competitive prices.

To further complicate the India’s Vaccination Policy. Central Govt. is also working on a complex formula. We have 29 States with population size of 135 Crores of people. I really don’t understand who puts such out of the world ideas in our Govt.’s head. Or perhaps they are forced by politics.

 

In the next phase, the Centre will allocate its share of 50 per cent to states based on the extent of infection (number of active Covid cases) and vaccination performance (speed of administration). States are at present receiving vaccine doses based on demand (the number of registrations and walk-in vaccinations). “Wastage of vaccine will also be considered in this criteria and will affect the criteria negatively. Based on the above criteria, State-wise quota would be decided and communicated to the States adequately in advance,” the Centre said.

 

“India has been following a dynamic mapping model based on availability of vaccines & coverage of vulnerable priority groups to take decisions of when to open up vaccinations to other age-groups. A good amount of coverage of vulnerable groups is expected by April 30,” the Centre said.

 

Nobody knows if this policy was in discussion for a day or a week or a month. May be our Govt. was also thinking clearly on the lines of Dr. Manmohan Singh. In order to take credit, they jumbled up the whole issue, wherein our PM is yet to respond to his predecessor and MoHFW headed by Mr. Matru wrote about the politics naming the political parties in response. The reason he could not become part of the discussion process, while inventing the mumbo-jumbo, they are feeding the public amidst the pandemic, when people were dying due to lack of oxygen, hospital, medicines.

 

Central Govt. was heading for a shake down from Supreme Court and hence they changed the policy. Good sense prevailed in our Govt. to scrap the policy. Is it the impending elections in 5 States scheduled for early next year? Everybody knows, our PM’s and our Govt.’s heart and mind is always stuck in elections. They make decisions and formulate policies on how it would appear in elections.

 

Truth is stranger than fiction and an enemy of reality.

Maitri is Liability

 

 

On January 19, 2021, PM started #vaccinemaitri to start exporting vaccines to a number of countries across the globe. Our PM was preparing for this day since September, when India had just about reached the peak of first wave. Our PM at the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session said, “India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID crisis.”

 

In May, 3^rd week, Govt. of India arrests nine people for putting up posters, Modi Ji, “hamare bacho ko vaccine videsh kyun bheji” (Why did you send our children’s vaccine abroad). The fact remains, no country had started vaccinating children across the world. But the question was loud and clear for everybody to ask, Why did you send the vaccines abroad?

 

Our Govt. under Modi went into huddle and always take every question as the personal attack on 56 inches of our PM. What started as diplomacy stunt, actually backfired. As usual, Govt. got a nice Op-Ed by its party member in a leading newspaper. The person chosen to write is none other than gutter mouth, Sambit Patra, who is a qualified doctor. Though he is not practicing his profession, may be because of his irritating personality or his tone to speak.

 

The brief gist from his article is written here for quick reference. I will not post my comments on BJP Spokeperson’s and rather counter it with quotes from our Prachar Mantri (PM) and EAM (in Parliament).

 

Let us look at some facts. As on May 11, India exported 663.698 lakh vaccine doses to foreign countries. At the same time, about three times as many vaccine doses have been administered within India. Out of the exports, only 107.15 lakh vaccine doses have been sent as aid. That is, just about 16 per cent of the total exports. The remaining 84 per cent vaccine supplies fall in two categories.

 

About 54 per cent of the total exports — 357.92 lakh vaccine doses — have been sent as commercial supplies by two vaccine manufacturers (Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech). In addition, 198.628 lakh vaccine doses (30 per cent of the total supplies) have been sent for the WHO’s COVAX facility by Serum Institute of India. Both these categories fulfil the contractual obligations of vaccine manufacturers. While the government may have given the necessary permissions, it is erroneous to suggest that it could have completely stopped these supplies.

 

Out of the 107.15 lakh doses, 78.5 lakh doses (73.26 per cent) have been sent to just seven neighbouring countries. This is not just good diplomacy, but it is also good epidemiology. 

 

India is deeply honoured to be a long-trusted partner in meeting the healthcare needs of the global community. Supplies of Covid vaccines to several countries will commence tomorrow, and more will follow in the days ahead. #VaccineMaitri. First tweet by our PM on vaccine exports, three days after launch of India’s Vaccination Program in January.

 

Towards the end of January 2021, our PM was again applauding himself at WEF, “India had not only defeated COVID-19 but it had also built adequate infrastructure to handle the crisis”. In March, India's UN Representative K Nagaraj Naidu told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that India has supplied more COVID-19 vaccines globally than vaccinated its own people.

 

In February, Mr S Jaishankar had suggested the need to stop ‘vaccine nationalism’, urged the need to promote internationalism, and had asked to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine, While announcing the gift of 200,000 doses to UN Peacekeepers while speaking at the United Nations Security Council discussions on Covid vaccines.

 

Sambit Patra further adds:

About 14 per cent of the commercial supplies have gone to the UK, which is where the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield in India) licence is from. What would happen if the licence manufacturer refuses to supply the licensee?

 

“Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on January 22. “On the world’s biggest need today, we are completely self-reliant. Not just that, India is also helping out many countries with vaccines.”

 

“Our reputation as the pharmacy of the world has been reinforced,” Jaishankar told the Parliament in March.

 

Patra tweeted the “bulk of the exports were because of contractual obligations rather than goodwill gestures”. Our very own Mr Matru (Dr. Harsh Vardhan), MoHFW, is saying, “Despite shortage of vaccine in India, our government had the magnanimity to export 66 million dosage abroad on humanitarian grounds.”

 

The only lateral hire with adequate experience in the Cabinet, Dr. S Jai Shankar, our head of MEA, said during his speech in Rajya Sabha on March 17, 2021, “the supply of vaccines abroad is based on the assessment of adequate availability at home” and that the process was “continuously monitored and takes into account the requirements of our domestic vaccination programme as it unfolds in different phases”.

 

Sambit Patra also states, Major commercial supplies (about 12.5 per cent) have also been sent to Saudi Arabia, which is home to a large diaspora of Indians which is being administered the vaccines free of cost by the Saudi authorities.

 

According to Jaishankar, the initiative was all about India’s generosity and internationalism that are “so characteristic of our culture”. In March, PM also reiterated, it is because of teachings of Bhagwad Gita that India is helping so many countries around the globe.

 

Sambit Patra explained, The end user simply sees a vaccine vial and assumes that it is completely made in India. But Indian vaccine manufacturers rely on dozens of countries to source various input materials. Those countries, in turn, rely on others to produce the input materials. A vast and complex supply chain spans the globe before a single dose of vaccine can be administered.

 

This explanation is factually wrong, India’s major raw material supplier is US. Even Adar Poonawalla in mid April had also appealed to US Prez to lift embargo on raw material. Unfortunately for India, USA name does not feature in the list of 94 countries.

 

India’s commitment to vaccine exports remained stuck on three points; SII commercial commitments to its license holder (Astra Zeneca), GAVI Alliance (UN) and Vaccine Maitri to our neighbours as explained by Sambit and also narrated by MEA.

 

Sambit Patra concluded, To simply look at the end product, and expect that India can put a sudden stop to exports is juvenile and dangerous.

 

India's last shipment was to Paraguay on April 22.

 

Mr S Jaishankar has said, over and over again, Under the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, “India has exported over 66 million (6.6 crore) Covid-19 vaccines to 94 countries as of date”.

 

Mr Sambit Patra wrote, “India itself is to be the recipient of nearly 97 million doses of Covishield through the COVAX facility”.

 

The order or the sequence of events are not mentioned in chronological order. But it is only to suggest, the game of musical chairs our Govt. is playing on vaccines, which could have potentially saved lives of so many Indians and still it continues to put them at risk.

 

At first, every dose was credited to our PM’s diplomacy skill with every box exported from India plastered with an Indian map and even PM’s photograph as well. MEA taking extra efforts to get its official photograph clicked either on loading of cargo or arrival of vaccine cargo.

 

When the temperature is raised on the query, BJP as the party would take support of lies, is something which is so obvious. But Govt. of India is trying to distance itself from the issue. First they gave the success of the company’s (Serum Institute of India) commercial contractual fulfilment to our PM and our Govt.’s credit, which SII had achieved on its own capability, strength and foresight of vision.

 

Now they are making an immense effort to spin the commercial commitments of a private company as an obligation of the Company with no role of the Govt. Especially when our Govt. is also benefitting from the Covax Alliance. Mr Modi, Mr Jaishankar, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, nobody has expressed its gratitude to Covax (GAVI Alliance) for giving India, 97 million doses. They have not left an opportunity to collect 66 million tweets (if not personal messages) of gratitude about their magnanimity.

 

All the service of friendship on the humanitarian ground termed as Vaccine Maitri by our marketing head, also known as PM is now framed as liability by his party members. Come elections, Vaccine Maitri will be marketed as major achievement of our PM in Corona Crisis.

 

Let’s hope, our PM spends some time to read Bhagwad Gita and tries to understand the meaning and essence of the Holy Book, which is said to be the best book on the relationship between human being, the world and the God.

 

And pray, those nine arrested have been released and not slapped with UAPA or sedition law.

 

CoWIN

 

India’s largest vaccination drive and World’s largest vaccination drive, to be achieved in the least amount of time or as quickly as possible has been named as CoWin by our hard working PM. The politician in our PM, Narendra Damodardas Modi is the best, much higher above the best. The man born with only the marketing (building narratives) bones in his body. Always thinking about marketing in elections, the name of his schemes are always catchy, short for people to remember with a solid punchline; to show he is working.

 

The world was gasping for breath to know when the vaccine will be launched, so that the world can heal and perhaps start getting back to normal life. India kickstarted its vaccination program on January 16, 2021. On April 18, 2021, PM was addressing the election rally with much thunder and boasting about the number of people who had come in attendance to hear their PM. On the same day, India recorded 2.75 lakh new cases with 1620 deaths. On April 19, 2021, our Govt. opened vaccine for all (eligible group), which means everybody who is eligible to vote is also eligible for vaccine and the mass vaccine drive would begin from May 1, 2021.

 

The speed for taking decisions from our Govt. is commendable. Modi is a man possessed to do so much in as little time as possible. He is always racing against time. They have not developed a think tank to make properly reformed, researched decisions but they just sense in which direction, the wind is blowing and the shoot their arrow in that direction, mostly with blind folded eyes.

On April 6, 2021, IMA (Indian Medical Association) had requested vaccine for all and as the virus spread was again going up and vaccination was the only way to save the citizens from the impending disaster, we are staring at. However, the Centre (on the same day) refused to open up coronavirus vaccinations for all age groups, saying the aim was to cover the people who are the most vulnerable at the earliest. “The approach is that those vulnerable to mortality need to be covered soonest,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a press conference. “The aim is to protect the most vulnerable. The aim is never to vaccinate whoever wants, but always on whoever needs.”

 

On April 7, 2021, Rahul Gandhi aka Pappu demanded vaccine to be opened for all age groups. “It’s ridiculous to debate needs and wants,” tweeted Gandhi. “Every Indian deserves the chance to a safe life.”

 

For the past two months, Rahul Gandhi tweets are actually dictating the decisions of the Govt. Whatever the Pappu says/tweets, the Govt. after refuting and mocking his tweets/words makes the exact decision. Decision taking is fast, but there is no planning or thinking whatsoever regarding the execution. I am totally confused, who is Pappu here, our Govt. or Rahul Gandhi or us, the citizens, who are left to die under the able guidance and leadership of Narendra Damodardas Modi. Nonetheless we have to applaud our Govt for making some efforts, even if it's too little too late. May be it is only a charade again to project, they are working and taking care the needs of the citizens for which they were elected with thumping majority.

 

There is vaccine hesitancy, the reason for vaccine wastage in India, wherein States and Centre are playing hockey on data. Distribution is purely and purely States responsibility, it is State Health Department’s responsibility to ensure minimal wastage. 25.35% of 136 Crores citizens were eligible in 45+ category and the number comes out to 34.5 Crs. Total of 12.39 Crs of vaccine doses were administered till April 19, 2021.

 

India remains at number 3 in terms of total doses administered. Well in any case, India cannot go beyond the 10^th place, even if Mexico had covered their entire population. On per capita basis, India is ranked somewhere at the bottom along with some third world country of Africa.

 

When we have barely covered one third in 45+ years category, what was the urgency to open 18 – 45 year age category for vaccination. Was it compulsion for optics or Govt. of India is taking instructions from Pappu? Less than two weeks in May and almost all the States have stated vaccination shortage and closed vaccination for 18 – 45 age until further notice.

 

The decision was fast but no working/study/analysis was undertaken regarding availability of vaccine or it was ensured after checking with States if they can speed up vaccination distribution strategy or not. 45% of citizens in 18 – 45 age group constitute 60 Crs on top of existing 25.35% of population and we have no vaccine. Right now, we are only looking at crashing of CoWIN App.

 

The digital push to Govt. work is another great vision of our PM. The way the Govt. has launched Apps for citizens to avail or take updates on different schemes, programs of the Govt. CoWIN is also part of the Digital India framework. Digital India has more or less failed, except for Jio’s success and the cheaper access of data, they have made for every Indian. But yes GoI has launched hundreds of apps for assistance of citizens.

 

Zero strategy, zero planning, zero execution. When the Govt. knows, they are opening up registration for 18 – 45 age category, the category of people who are most user friendly with smartphone, the same set of people carry the maximum number of smartphones in India or for that matter anywhere in the world. The largest subset of population with 60 Crs (no other country has as much population) number and the Health Ministry didn’t even check with IT Ministry to give them 10x or may be 100x bandwidth for CoWIN App to keep working smoothly.

 

Consultation and planning amongst different departments of the Govt. is null and void, if there is any. This was one of the most brilliant aspect of Modi’s style of working (as CM of Gujarat), he made all Secretaries sit together to sort out the problem instead of files being pushed for consultation and objections from one department to another. Health Ministry cannot complain because they didn’t ask. There are citizens who had predicted the crashing of the App as soon as registration is opened for 18 – 45 age category. And our IT Ministry is busy in blocking tweets, which are critical of our Govt. IT Ministry has its hands full in censorship of information.

 

To get back to Mr Gupta’s tweet, App crashing is a good sign for vaccine hesitancy. But it also implied it was hurried decision from the Govt. without proper thought, knowledge and information or lack of all stated here.

 

The stories amongst the citizens remains the same. Majority of the population is under lockdown, not by Govt. of India; GoI is shit scared about the image of its bearded babaji. Almost all States have imposed lockdown and hence crores of citizens are spending morning to evening on App to get a slot booked.

 

Almost all 18 – 45 age category couldn’t land on the booking page. CoWIN was overwhelmed with issuing captcha(s) or sending OTP(s), which in some cases took a day or two. But as usual Govt claims victory before the race has started by throwing numbers, which possess zero significance to vaccination drive. 80 Lakh registrations in first three hours of opening the booking.

 

If the Govt. couldn’t plan, anticipate the App’s workload, I sincerely and earnestly doubt if the ground situation has any hope of improving. Citizens can look at the slot available and press their choice and App starts processing and all slots gets filled. It is the story across the India. Now Citizens are betting, 70 slots available, booked in a minute, another says 120, third 200.

 

A large subset of marginal population who cannot afford smartphone is left out by CoWIN considering only 55% of Indians possess a smartphone. Is it Govt.’s feeble attempt to generate employment that the computer centre/operators around the country, get the work for getting the poor citizens registered at nominal charge of Rs. 50 – 100.

 

It has always been the essence of Modi Govt. make decisions at lightning speed without any thought process or planning and make crores of crores of citizens of this great Nation suffer. It all started from Demonetisation. A humble reminder to citizens to not fall for fake platitudes of PM but make him accountable for his actions and his lop sided policies and not only the boldness or the intention of the scheme.

 

Right now only WIN remains secluded in the CoWIN. Citizens who have been lucky to get a slot can actually claim victory over the App if not the virus by posing for a selfie with a V sign. We shudder to think of what will happen to CoWIN, when Govt. aims to clock One Crore doses/day in July/August. Will CoWIN go the Aarogya Setu App way? Redundant when its needed the most.

 

 

 

Where are the Vaccines ??

 

In December 2020, my father was giving his remarks that why our PM is only talking about vaccines and not focusing on economy. I replied, vaccine is most important. He knows this is his chance to wipe the slate clean for all his previous blunders. All will be forgotten, the pain of lockdown, the farmers agitation, economy will perhaps also start healing.

 

The only area where PM Modi has shown remarkable performance is distribution services. No matter whatever anybody says, our Govt. has no clue how to develop policy, how to formulate plans/schemes to make it better for development of India. Be it demonetization, GST or the declining economy for last 20 quarters which in resultant has tanked, every policy, every plan is a dud from the word go.

 

By distribution, we mean DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), Toilets, the speed and scale given the size of population of India. It is beyond phenomenal, Congress might have taken quarter a century to achieve the same. Now with the pandemic, there is a sense of urgency in the world to vaccinate as many people in the world as much is possible, that too quickly without wasting time, without lagging for a day.

 

On May 28 2021, RaGa is asking, What is India’s Vaccination Strategy? To answer, nobody has a clue, because we know our Govt. has socially distanced itself from all issues relating to virus to preserve the image of our Prachar Mantri (PM). But Pappu tweets/video clips have always had impact on the Govt. to make us wonder, who is the real Pappu here, RaGa, Govt. or the people? Every time he tweets, two or three Ministers from the Cabinet come with all guns blazing in a Press Conference (the only time it is important for our Govt to address the Press) to berate Pappu. Our Govt.is more conscious of Pappu than even Supreme Court.

 

Ideally it is one amongst the three, I & B Minister, Textiles Minister, IT & Telecom Minister. So this time, Prakash Javadekar did the honour of handing us over the deadline to complete Vaccination for ALL by December 2021 in India. When the Govt. of India had given an Affidavit in SC with a different number of population to be achieved by December 2021. We know, our Govt. is playing a game of musical chairs.

 

I fail to understand why our I & B (Information & Broadcasting) Minister is giving us target date for vaccination instead of MoHFW (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare), Dr Harsh Vardhan. May be he is busy eating dark chocolates due to Covid stress. MoHFW Minister had clearly stated in Parliament on the floor of the House, not all need to be vaccinated for Covid 19 on March 19, 2021. The same Minister who had stated, Corona is not a Health Emergency on March 13, 2020, and Prachar Mantri put India under complete strict lockdown on March 23, 2020.

 

Though Mr Minister’s Statements leaves more questions to be answered rather than giving solution to the problem. Vaccination for ALL includes two jabs or a single jab. Is Govt. considering vaccinating under 18 population? No developed country has given the target or deadline to populate the entire population. Majority are looking at 60%, 70%, 80% of the population by June, September or whichever month. No Govt. is taking the responsibility of inoculating 100% of the population as they realize, not all citizens are willing to be vaccinated. Hence they are targeting as much population as possible with the speed to be achieved as soon as possible.

 

PM Modi said that he is confident that India will realize its dream of becoming self-reliant (Atmanirbhar). “I am confident of the abilities, confidence and potential of my fellow Indians,” the prime minister said. This was Prachar Mantri (PM) delivering his anecdotes on last Independence Day (August 15, 2020). Following points are excerpts from his anecdotes on Vaccination.

 

Þ   India will start mass production of vaccines once we get a green signal from scientists: PM Modi

Þ   The strategy to ensure that coronavirus vaccine reaches every Indian in the least possible time is ready

Þ   There are 3 vaccines under development in India: PM Modi

Þ   Every Indian will have health ID card: PM Modi

Þ   National Digital Health Mission will begin from today. This will bring in a new revolution

 

Post Independence speech, Prachar Mantri has spoken a lot number of times on vaccines from behind his teleprompter. On April 7, 2021, PM made the Statement while addressing the Chief Ministers of all States that India has defeated Corona virus without vaccines. I don’t know if this statement was made under Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission or some Jan Kalyan (plus some nice Hindi word) Mission. Yet the reality is stranger than the fiction story of our PM, because on next day (April 8), our PM announces Tika Utsav from April 11 – April 14.

 

In hindsight, I don’t know even know, the need to incorporate vaccines in the speech was the resultant of RaGa’s tweet on August 14, 2020. India will be one of the Covid – 19 vaccine producing nations. It needs a clearly defined, inclusive and equitable vaccine access strategy ensuring availability, affordability & fair distribution. GoI must do it now; said his tweet.

 

A large number of analysts or Op-Eds are crunching data on the number of Covid vaccines to understand the perspective. Almost every citizen of India is asking where are the vaccines? But the fact remains the Govt. of India never knew/saw/visualize the urgency to order vaccines.

 

Now when the question needs an answer, where are the vaccines? Our Prachar Mantri has been officially quarantined from vaccines issue. Because he knows, when you need a number (doses) and a date (comprising of numbers), the mere platitudes with a punchy tagline are not going to help.

 

Independence speech was home delivered by our PM after GoI had appointed a Vaccination Expert Committee a week before to work on the vaccine distribution and other aspects of the vaccine. The most this expert committee achieved in first 6 months is quarantined India from vaccines.

 

Until then wait for an update about vaccination from Information Technology Minister also known as Resignation Prasad. In the meantime, bask in the glory of Atmanirbhar Mission, because our Govt. has left citizens to fend for their own.

The Govt. had set a target of vaccinating 300 million healthcare and frontline workers, and those above the age of 45 till August on the launch of India’s Vaccination drive on January 16, 2021.