'Vaccines which can be stored in normal refrigerator are good for India'

Senior health expert Dr Suneela Garg, in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, has said that vaccines which can be stored in normal refrigerator are good for India. Talking to ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy, Dr Garg said that India needs to look at different vaccines, as they are having different condition of storage.

New Delhi: Amid a major debate over cold storage facility for Covid-19 vaccines in India, senior health expert Dr Suneela Garg told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that vaccines which could remain in normal refrigerator under 2-8°C are good for India.

"There are different companies who are manufacturing vaccines. They are also developing a storage system. Moderna needs transportation under -20°C. It remains in normal refrigerator under 2-8°C. Vaccines of Zydas Cadila and others can also remain in similar temperature," said Dr Garg while referring about Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

The vaccine that has been developed by Pfizer needs to be stored under -80°C, which is very tough given the existing cold storage facilities across India.

Dr Garg who is director professor and head, community medicine at Delhi's Maulana Azad Medical College said that India needs 1.7 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine initially for its 828 million population.

"Out of 1.38 billion population, 80 per cent of the population are above 14 years of age. We have 25 per cent population with antibodies which will develop by 2021...and 828 million people need to be immunized with two doses of vaccines," said Dr Garg.

She said that India needs to look at different vaccines, as they are having different condition of storage.

"Vaccines of Pfizer may get destroyed as it needs -80°C whereas Moderna needs transportation under -20°C and it can be stored at a temperature of 2-8°C for 30 days," said Dr Garg.

Given the fact that these Covid19 vaccines are very sensitive, Dr Garg said India need a proper transportation system to take the vaccine from cold storage to the consumer.

"However, we have a very strong cold-supply chain. We have good facilities in tier 1 and 2 cities. But we need to look at tier 3 and 4 cities," said Dr Garg.

She said that public and private partnership will play a big role in this sector. "We can also utilise health and wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat scheme. We need to give in different nursing associations too," added Dr Garg.

Sources in the Health Ministry has also confirmed that the central government has already begun a massive exercise to map out cold-chain storage facilities to ensure the vaccine is delivered quickly across the country.

The national task force on Covid-19 vaccine administration is already in talks with public and private entities in the pharmaceutical sector, food processing industry, and agro-business to identify cold storage or fridges that can stock and distribute the vaccines.

The Health Ministry has also initiated a cold chain augmentation plan to address the additional cold chain space required for the vaccine.

With multiple immunisation session getting planned, additional support by increasing the fleet of refrigerated vans to transport vaccines is likely to support the huge immunisation drive.

Dr Garg said that India already conducted the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) which was supported by more than 28000 functional cold chain points.

"The expertise from UIP will be a plus point for India, " said Dr Garg.