As the Centre intends to vaccinate all above the age of 18 by the end of this year, it’s going to be a massive challenge for the officials. The Finance Ministry has suggested making vaccination a 24/7 activity, particularly in August and September, when COVID-19 vaccine supplies are expected to improve.

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A 24/7 activity would vaccinate 70 crore people with at least one dose by September as per the calculations by the ministry. Currently, 19.2 crore people have got at least one dose while 4.7 crore have been fully vaccinated.

To reach herd immunity at 80 percent of the adult population, 70 crore people need to be vaccinated soon, the Ministry said. So far, 19.2 crore people have got the first dose while 4.7 crore have been fully vaccinated. If 70 crore people must be vaccinated by September 2021, it is estimated that around 113 crore doses are needed.

“With nearly 216 crore doses expected to arrive from the international markets and local manufacturers between August and December, the finance team has suggested to align supplies with the September target. They have also suggested prioritizing people who have not received even one dose compared to people who have got one,” according to a report by The Hindu.

The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) had in May suggested the idea of two shifts or even 24 hours as the peak daily vaccination rate attained till date is 42.65 lakh in one shift of 8-9 hours in a day. Numerous challenges such as supply, vaccination hesitancy, operational issues, and widespread reach must be planned well in advance to ensure the people’s confidence is boosted.

The DEA report further said that the second wave’s rural spread has been less rapid compared to the first wave though the number of rural districts constituting 20 percent of new cases increased nearly 3.4 times compared to the first wave.

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Jun 10, 2021 4:25 PM IST