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300 million people, 45K fridges: India's Covid-19 vaccination drive in numbers
The inoculation campaign across the world’s second-most populous country will showcase whether Covid-19 can be swiftly tamed in nations with disjointed health and transportation networks.
Marking its feat in the history of disease outbreaks, India on Saturday started the world's largest Covid-19 vaccination drive where it will see the administration of the drug in 300,000 million healthcare workers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the program with a speech addressing more than 3,000 centers across India, where the first shots were to be given.
“These vaccines will help India win the battle against the virus,” Modi said, adding that Indians should get the shots and not pay heed to any anti-vaccine propaganda.
The inoculation campaign across the world’s second-most populous country will showcase whether Covid-19 can be swiftly tamed in nations with disjointed health and transportation networks.
Here are the key numbers from India's vaccination drive:
30 million
First in line to receive the vaccine dose are some 30 million health and other frontline workers, such as those in sanitation and security. This will be followed by about 270 million people who fall in this high-risk category because they are older than 50 or deemed high-risk because of pre-existing medical conditions.
On the first day, around 300,000 people were set to be vaccinated at 3,000 centers. About 150,000 staff in 700 districts have been trained to administer jabs and keep records.
The government aims to manage the entire process digitally with its own app, CoWIN, which will link every vaccine dose to its recipient.
11 million, 5.5 million
The government has already bought 11 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVISHIELD shot, produced by the Serum Institute of India, and 5.5 million of Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN.
72 per cent
COVISHIELD is 72% effective, according to the Indian drug regulator, while Bharat Biotech says COVAXIN's last-stage trial results are expected by March.
45,000 fridges, 1 bike
To inoculate millions, India has prepared by coming up with four "mega depots" to take delivery of the vaccines and transport them to state distribution hubs in temperature-controlled vans, keeping the doses colder than 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 Fahrenheit).
A total of 29,000 cold-chain points, 240 walk-in coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers, and 300 solar fridges are at the ready.
These will be needed once the Indian summer arrives in the coming months.
Three seconds
Guarding the vaccine vials, the government has come up with high-security measures with armed police guarding every truck.
CCTVs are in place at warehouses with entry subject to fingerprint authentication, news agency AFP reported. Automated data loggers will monitor storage temperature and transfer messages every three seconds to a central unit, AFP reported
"Security measures are essential to not only address the issue of logistics and safety but also build confidence in people that the supply chain is intact, unbroken, and safe to the point of delivery," Preeti Kumar, a public health specialist told AFP.
₹200 per dose
India logged another feat on Saturday becoming one of the nations to provide the vaccine at a cheaper rate in the initial trial. An initial 11 million doses of Covishield, AstraZeneca's vaccine made by India's Serum Institute, at 200 rupees ($2.74) each, and 5.5 million doses of Covaxin at 206 rupees each.
Serum plans later to sell the jab privately to Indian individuals and firms for 1,000 rupees ($14), raising fears that the rich will get inoculated sooner.
70 Days
Authorities say people will be given two doses of one of the vaccines -- and not one of each -- 28 days apart. Effectiveness begins 14 days after the second shot, they say.
One Brazilian plane
Other developing countries are banking on India for getting vaccines, and Brazil wanted to send a plane to India this weekend to collect two million doses from Serum.
But President Jair Bolsonaro said Friday that "political pressure" by India had postponed the flight. Serum chief Adar Poonawalla told the Times of India it would supply Brazil in two weeks.
20 million doses
India plans to offer 20 million doses to its neighbours, with the first batches shipped over the next two weeks, Bloomberg News reported. Latin America, Africa and ex-Soviet republics will be next.
(With inputs from AFP)
