As India prepares up for the vaccination drive with 3 vaccine applicants under administrative review, the Union Ministry of Health has sent its operational guidelines to states and Union territories for the delivery of the vaccine as and when it becomes ready.
The report, which has been given to all the states, says that only 100 people per session at each site per day are likely to be vaccinated against coronavirus.
The Centre noted that the number of people per session might go up to 200 if logistics permit.
As per the government’s new SOP on coronavirus, a vaccination site should have 3 rooms or spaces including a waiting room, vaccination room, and an observation room.
According to the health ministry’s plan, the vaccine will be first transmitted to health care workers (1 crore), frontline workers (2 crores), and people above 50 years (26 crores). Later, vaccines will be given to those below 50 years of age who are undergoing a chronic critical disease(1 crore) (for a total of 30 crore people in phase-1 planning).
One session for 100 beneficiaries. While most of the healthcare and frontline workers would be treated at fixed session sites, vaccination of other high-risk populations may need outreach session sites, and mobile sites and teams.
Based on the voter list provided in the Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections, people above 50 years of age will be recognized.
Later, the rest of the population will be given the COVID vaccine, whenever it is available for public use, based on the spread and availability of this disease.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the nation will see to vaccinate 200 to 300 million people against COVID-19 in the first phase on preference by July next year.