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Centre begins training for use of Zydus vaccine
“Preparation for the roll-out of Zydus vaccine is currently on; training is being imparted to those involved in giving the shot at various levels,” said VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog.
The government has begun training vaccinators around the country on how to deliver the coronavirus vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila, an exercise that officials said is crucial since the dose is not given through conventional syringes.
Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D has been granted emergency use authorisation by India’s drugs regulators, and it could become the first vaccine to be approved in children since its phase 3 trials included volunteers of ages 12 and above.
“Preparation for the roll-out of Zydus vaccine is currently on; training is being imparted to those involved in giving the shot at various levels. This vaccine is not administered conventionally using a syringe and a needle but through an applicator that is being used in the country for the first time. Staff is being trained at the ground level, which is a task in itself. People were divided in various groups—master trainers, state trainers etc., to provide the requisite training,” said VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog.
The vaccine was approved on August 20 but it is yet to be included in the Covid-19 vaccination drive.
“Apart from this all other logistical issues are also being solved, and very soon this vaccine will also be a part and parcel of our Covid-19 vaccination programme. In coming days we have to complete the task of vaccinating all adults, as vaccine availability is no longer an issue,” added Paul during the weekly media briefing on Covid-19 on Thursday.
As per government data, 71% of India’s adult population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 27% has been fully vaccinated.
The government is also making preparations to deal with any surge in cases that may occur due to the upcoming festive season, the officials said.
Paul said that 836,000 hospital beds are currently available in the country for Covid-19 patients, in addition to nearly one million isolation beds in dedicated care centres.
Nearly 486,000 oxygen-supported beds and 135,000 intensive care unit beds are also available.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated 35 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants established under PM Cares across 35 states and Union Territories at AIIMS Rishikesh.
A total of 1,224 PSA oxygen plants have been funded under PM Cares so far in the country, of which at least 1,100 plants have been commissioned, providing a daily output of at least 1,750 metric tonnes oxygen.
“It is good to remain prepared; as we have seen an upswing in cases in the past around festivities. People tend to drop their guard, which is not advisable at this stage of pandemic,” said Dr GC Khilnani, former head, pulmonology and sleep medicine department, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
But officials stressed on the need for people to be careful.
“We cannot afford to take the current stable situation for granted. We have to be mindful of the fact that the pandemic is still going on and can take an untoward turn if we are not careful. People need to avoid crowded places and unnecessary travel; stay home as far as possible and celebrate festivals virtually with shopping online,” said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Union ministry of health and family welfare, during the press briefing on Thursday.
At present, Kerala is one of the worst-affected states, recording at least 50% of the total Covid-19 cases in the country past week, and the south Indian state is currently having at least 100,000 active cases. Four other states have reported between 10,000 and 50,000 new cases, as per the government data.
Thirty-four districts across nine States and Union Territories are also reporting a weekly positivity rate of at least 10%, and 28 districts across 12 states and UTs are reporting a weekly positivity rate between 5 and 10%.
Five states— Mizoram, Kerala, Sikkim, Manipur and Meghalaya— are reporting a weekly positivity rate of at least 5%.
