The crisis of corona epidemic in the country is constantly deepening. The unprecedented increase in the cases of Kovid-19 infection and the death toll due to corona have shocked everyone. Health systems have collapsed across the country. People are suffering from lack of beds, oxygen and Remedisvir injections in hospitals. Amidst all this, the central government has decided to start anti-coronation vaccination for all people above 18 years of age from May 1. After this decision of the central government, all people above the age of 18 years will be eligible to get the vaccine. But, this vaccine will be available to these people from the state governments or in the market.
The companies producing the vaccine can sell 50 percent of the total vaccine to the central government and the remaining 50 percent to the state governments or in the market. After this decision, the central government has pulled out of providing vaccines in large quantities to the state governments. The central government will provide vaccines according to their requirement to the state governments out of 50 per cent vaccines. At the same time, the responsibility of purchasing the remaining 50 percent vaccines has been placed on the state governments. However, the central government will continue to allocate the vaccine to the states on the basis of the procedure as before. After the latest decision of the Central Government, the question arises that how will the vaccine be provided to people above 18 years of age?
Vaccine availability big crisis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said to increase the production of anti-coronary vaccine. However, the situation seems to be quite the opposite. The possibility of an increase in vaccine production amid the second wave of the Corona epidemic is slim. The production of Covishield of Serum Institute is only from 6 to 7 crores. The US has banned the supply of raw materials needed to make the serum institute a vaccine. Due to which the production of Kovishield is not likely to increase. According to the current production capacity of Bharat Biotech Kovaxin, only 200 million doses can be produced in a year. The central government has opened the way for vaccination for people above 18 years, but from where vaccines will be available for vaccination, the central government has no answer on this.
It may take time for the foreign vaccine to enter the market
The recent decision of the central government is clear that it will continue to vaccinate people above the age of 45 years. The responsibility of vaccinating people above 18 years is entirely on the state governments. Currently, only Kovaxin and Kovishield vaccines are available in India. Sputnik-V has been approved by the Central Government for use in an emergency, but the doubt remains on how long its production will start on a large scale. The condition of the vaccine of other countries is also the same. Foreign vaccine producing companies will not cancel their earlier orders for India from other countries. Trials of many foreign vaccines are going on in India, but the results of the trials may take a few months. Many vaccine trials are in the final stages. In a way, the central government has put the responsibility of getting vaccinations of people above 18 years and the purchase of vaccines on the shoulders of the state government.
Vaccination of vaccine may occur when it is available in the market
With the availability of anti-coronary vaccines in the market, the possibilities of its black marketing cannot be ruled out. As Remadecivir injection, which acts as a life-saving for Corona patients, is being black marketed, the same condition of Corona vaccines seems to be happening. People will try to get Corona vaccine under any circumstances and in this situation the chances of getting vaccine brokerage in private hospitals are much more.
The vaccine is still falling short for those above 45 years
According to the Health Ministry data, more than 12.71 crore people have been vaccinated in the country so far. Out of these, about 10.96 crore people have got the first dose of vaccine and about 1.74 crore people have got the second dose of vaccine. The central government still needs 46 crore vaccine doses to complete vaccination for frontline workers and people above 45 years of age. In this situation, it will be interesting to see how people above 18 years will get the vaccine.