INDIA HITS 1 BILLION COVID VACCINE DOSES: How India achieved the milestone?

India has surpassed a milestone of one billion COVID-19 vaccines. The government intends to vaccinate all 944 million people in India this year.

India is just the second country to surpass the milestone of 1 billion vaccinations, after China, which has delivered more than 2 billion doses. Vaccination rates in India are growing at an increasing rate, whereas the vaccination rates of other nations with huge populations, such as the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia, are relatively static. Almost 75% of the eligible population has received at least the first dosage, with eight states and UTs reaching 100% coverage.

The first dose of the vaccine has been provided to all adults in several states. India would be able to supply 70 to 80 crore vaccine doses in the next three months, based on its capabilities and infrastructure to produce and distribute vaccine.

What impact will this achievement have on India's pandemic?

1 billion vaccination doses and a growing high rate in the future months will undoubtedly aid the country in controlling the COVID death rate. More than limiting the number of people infected, strengthening people's immune systems and lowering the death rate are the most reasonable things to undertake in a country like India, which is the world's second most populated.

By vaccinating everyone in the next months, COVID limitations may be lifted, helping to revive the economy, which is now in disaster.

The future of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country depends on the following five factors. The extent to which a country and its citizens follow the Covid protocols, the availability of the vaccine, the percentage of people infected with the second wave, the number of new variants of the virus in the coming weeks or months, and how well-equipped health systems are in place if the disease increases.

Seventy to eighty-five percent of the nation was affected in the second wave, and no new variants have been reported in the last four months. Now it is up to the people to ensure that Covid protocols are met. In particular, it will help reduce the incidence of viruses and bring life back to normal during the upcoming festive season.

How did India achieve this millstone in the pandemic war?

Despite being the largest producer of vaccines for children, India is not known for developing new vaccines. But during the Covid epidemic, several vaccines were developed in the country.

Over the last twenty years, the country has made great strides in developing the infrastructure for scientific research. This helped in the research and development of the Covid vaccine was an important step. In March 2020, a large sum of money was invested in the health and research sectors and follow-up action was taken. This led to the collaboration of scientists and industrialists for the development of vaccines. As a result, India was able to start vaccinating within ten months of the onset of the Covid epidemic.

What steps have been taken to ensure the safety of vaccines?

The vaccines developed within a short period are licensed for emergency use. This means that these vaccines were made available to people long before they were studied.

In order to monitor the adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in India, a panel of experts comprising of various categories of doctors from the national level to the district level has been set up to conduct training programs and compile a list of commonly reported health problems after vaccination. This includes problems that can occur with any new vaccine (AESI).

Health professionals were trained on how to cope with and report mild side effects from the vaccination until they needed to be hospitalized. In this, the World Health Organization has also offered technical support.

A 30-minute monitoring period is established after vaccination at all centers. This is to provide immediate medical attention in the event of any serious reactions, such as allergies or other unanticipated health issues. If there are any health problems within 28 days of the vaccination, it is checked to see if it is related to the vaccine.

How difficult was it to raise public awareness about the vaccine's safety?

Prolonged campaigns to change public reluctance towards the polio vaccine have helped prevent false propaganda and exceptions about the Covid vaccine. Awareness regarding Covid vaccination in the country started in October itself, before the actual vaccination started. Vaccine-related scientific and authentic information was conveyed to the public via the news media. By closely monitoring social media, it was able to identify and respond to exceptional propaganda and misinformation about Covid vaccination.

Resistance to the vaccine is contagious. It can spread to other places if the right defense is not made in time.

Can the rest of the vaccination process be completed easily?

To completely vaccinate adults in India, 190 billion doses of vaccine are required. Despite the fact that vaccination is difficult in vaccine-resistant areas, vaccine availability and infrastructure in the health sector provide hope. People are currently keen to be immunized. Depending on the conditions, the vaccination can reach everyone with dedicated efforts.