Veroli Zhimo
While a definitive cure is not yet available for COVID-19, the UK and the US has begun vaccinating their people and India has announced its plan and proposed line-up for COVID-19 vaccination.
In the present situation, vaccinating people will be the only known way of slowing the virus down, and every country, down to each individual, must prepare for this massive exercise.
As per the centre’s strategy, the vaccination is to be given first to healthcare workers and then to people over the age of 50, with those over 60 given priority, based on the situation. This will amount to about 30 crore people.
The voters’ list for the Lok Sabha and Assembly election polls has been set as the verifying document for the process and a new digital platform, Co-WIN, will be used for COVID-19 vaccination delivery. In terms of workforce, about 1.54 lakh Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) working on Universal Immunisation Programmes will be roped in as vaccinators, with more such field staff to be mobilised in collaboration with the States. Cold chain systems are to be strengthened across the country to deliver multiple doses.
In Nagaland, about 19,000 healthcare and front line workers have been identified for the first phase of vaccination, according to the Nodal Officer for state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
As with many other policies and schemes that are often frustrated in their encounter with facts and implementation processes in the field, the COVID-19 vaccine policy, must take care not to head that way, and make adequate allowances for ground realities that could disrupt well-laid plans.
As governments beef up the vaccination drive, they need to clear the fog on vaccine safety and efficacy among the people. With passing days, it will not be too much to expect from the government a detailed plan for vaccinating children and a breakdown of tasks down to the lowest governance rung.
Unless the latter is done, a proper estimate of the true challenges of administering vaccines in the field will not be available, and being unprepared is a guarantee to coming undone.
It is also important to note that the anti-vaccine voice is rising, with several claims and conspiracy theories spreading mainly through social media. It would bode well for all if health authorities formulate comprehensive and awareness campaigns to counter and debunk such myths and theories about vaccines.
Relevant information about adverse effects and post-vaccination fall-outs, if any, should also be made available in the public realm.
If health officials want to maintain public trust and maximize vaccine uptake in the meantime, they will have to be transparent about what is known and what is not. It will be difficult for state and local health departments to develop targeted messaging campaigns without sufficient resources, but health officials at every level can still strive for transparency in their public remarks.
Health officials should also make clear that it will be crucial to wear face masks and practice physical distancing for a good while still. The government has invested a great deal to fight the pandemic and it is imperative that we do not squander the investment by becoming complacent.
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