Govt asks details of healthcare workers for COVID-19 vaccination

The Health Ministry has asked all state-run and private medical establishments to send details of frontline health care workers and other staff who would be administered COVID-19 vaccine on a priority basis. The national task force for vaccine administration has chalked out the blueprint for vaccine distribution under which health care workers come first followed by senior citizens.

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has asked for details of health care workers from across the country for COVID-19 vaccination.

Officials in the Health Ministry told ETV Bharat on Friday that the health care workers including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, Asha workers, and security personnel will be provided with COVID-19 vaccination at the initial stage on a priority basis.

"The national task force for vaccine administration has chalked out the blueprint for vaccine distribution under which health care workers come first followed by senior citizens and others," said a senior official in the health ministry.

The officials said that the task force headed by Niti Aayog member VK Paul has also asked all the state governments and UTs administration to provide details of health care providers.

The task force is in the process of identifying around 30 crore people as priority beneficiaries of the vaccine.

"Once the vaccine approved by the concerned authority after all formalities and proceedings, the vaccination process will start," the official said adding by early or mid next year vaccine is expected to come in India.

It may be mentioned here that Oxford vaccine candidate "Covaxin" has already enrolled 1600 volunteers for Phase III of human clinical trials. India's vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) has already manufactured 40 million doses of the vaccine, under the at-risk manufacturing and stockpiling license from country's drug controller general of India (DCGI).

The Health Ministry is also in talks with the private players for vaccine logistics.

Officials said that major players in India health care sectors like the SII, Dr Reddy's, Dr Lal PathLabs, and many others are already in discussion with the government for storage and distribution of the vaccine.

"The government has decided to get involve the private players as far as COVID-19 vaccination is concerned," officials said.

Officials said that the government is planning to procure COVID-19 vaccine directly from the drugmakers and distribute them among priority groups.

Talking to ETV Bharat, Dr Rajan Sharma, president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that the government has asked for details of all healthcare professionals as the first line of management.

"In Haryana and many other states, the ministry has asked for details of the health care professionals, doctors nurses and all," said Dr Sharma.

He said that IMA has also started providing details of healthcare professionals to the health ministry.

"We have started providing details to the government. Doctors, nurses, lab technicians and others are the first priority and we need them to fight COVID-19," said Dr Sharma.

He expressed hope that as early as March next year, the vaccine will be available in India.

"...A vaccine which can prevent COVID-19 is most welcome and that is why phase III of human clinical trials are happening," Dr Sharma added.

It may be mentioned here that health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has recently dashed a letter to all Chief Secretaries in states and UTs to chalk out an action plan for rolling and monitoring the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.