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3 phases of vaccination will be completed in 3 months: Maharashtra health minister
The minister also said though they received fewer doses than expected, the Centre is expected to allot another consignment in the next few days
State health minister Rajesh Tope, in an interview with HT on Thursday, said the number of vaccination centres was reduced to ensure the machinery would be set to sustain any reaction of the vaccine and handle it effectively. He said they would know only after two months when the general public can get the vaccine. The minister also said though they received fewer doses than expected, the Centre is expected to allot another consignment in the next few days. Edited excerpts:
You have complained that the state has received fewer vaccine doses than required. What was the demand?
We were expecting 1,750,000 vials to vaccinate 800,000 health workers in the first phase in the wake of the Centre’s direction that two doses of same vaccine should be given in the stipulated timeframe of 28-45 days. Against it, we have received 9,63,000 doses of Covishield and 20,000 of Covaxin. This would cover about 500,000 or over 55% of the health workers enrolled for vaccination. But we are sure the Centre will allot us second consignment of doses in the next 8-10 days.
The state had to reduce the number of vaccination centres from 511 to 358 after Centre’s direction. Would it delay the vaccination drive?
The reduction in the number of centres was a strategic move by the Central government as it wanted to implement the drive in a cautious and calibrated manner and without any haste. We want the mechanism to be robust to handle any untoward incident or Adverse Effect Following Immunisation (AEFI) effectively. We are expecting the first two phases of immunization of healthcare and frontline workers to be completed in a month. It could have been completed in 15 days, had we started with 511 centres. All three planned phases, including people above 50 years of age and comorbidities, will be completed in about three-and-a-half months.
When is the general public expected to get the vaccine?
During the video conference on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told us that there would a review of the drive once 60% of the two phases meant for healthcare and frontline workers are done with the vaccination. The clarity over availability of the vaccine for general public is expected in the next two months, when we are done with these phases.
You have been talking about free vaccine for the poor….
Yes, we are determined to do it. Actually, vaccination is the responsibility of the Centre and it should bear the cost of vaccine for poor. We have demanded it, but if the Centre does not concede, the state government will bear the cost for vulnerable people below the poverty line (BPL). Our 35% population is BPL and of it 50% or roughly 15 million people will need to be given vaccine for free. This section of society can’t afford the vaccine even if it is priced at ₹210-220. If they are left to bear the cost, they would opt to avoid it and end up becoming a source of infection.
Another frequently asked question is if everybody needs to be vaccinated.
We discussed this in our department and they are of the opinion that not all will have to get the vaccine doses. The population in the age group of 18-40 is considered healthy and can sustain the infection. Barring comorbid people, others can avoid taking the vaccine.
People in areas with high percentage of infection will be given vaccine in routine course?
Yes. People from the highly dense areas like Dharavi where a large population has antibodies, too, will be given vaccine as per the routine plan.
There are doubts being raised over the efficacy of Covaxin. What is your take on it?
Both the vaccines, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute’s Covishield, have been given emergency use authorisation in India. Covishield could complete phase-3 clinical trials as volunteers from other countries like the United Kingdom were involved in it. Covaxin is yet to complete its phase 3 trials and requires consent of the beneficiary. The third clinical trial needs it to be administered on 40,000 people to judge the reaction and efficacy. The indigenous vaccine will soon complete it. In fact, the technology and basis of Covaxin is more effective, we have been told. As such, both the vaccines are safe for use.
Why is the government wary about health workers backing out from vaccination after enrolling for it?
As there is reservation for vaccination among some health workers, there are people who ask us why they are not getting it in initial stages. There are reactions such as swelling, giddiness, uneasy feeling to abdominal pain in some people. We are ready to handle all such reactions. I would appeal to the health workers and other beneficiaries not to be afraid of it and come forward for the vaccination.
Though Covid-19 cases are under control, they are still high in a few districts. What is the reason?
Maharashtra’s weekly case fatality rate has dropped to 1.5%. We are the 10th number in the country in growth rate, which is 0.12%. Our doubling rate has gone to almost one year. The number of cases is reducing in the state, while in other states like Kerala, Punjab the growth rate is on the rise.
In the past one month, our daily caseload ranged between 2500 and 3500. It is true that in some districts like Parbhani, Nagpur and Nandurbar, the positivity and case fatality rates are high for various reasons. We have asked the district administrations to increase the tracing, tracking and testing at local level to keep the deaths under control. Early referral of the infection can save lives and arrest the spread. We have also directed to increase the daily testing to 1.5 lakh so that the number of patients decrease further.
