Vaccination milestones and distant goals

Our frontline health care workers deserve our heartfelt congratulations for crossing the milestone 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. They, along with our scientists, researchers, medical professionals and vaccine makers, have heroically overcome many obstacles in their quest to protect our citizens. COVID-19. Thanks to their efforts, our vaccination campaign has gained momentum after initial months of delay, indecision and confusion.

This milestone also marks the triumph of science and India’s research and manufacturing infrastructure built and nurtured over decades. It is an opportune moment to recall that the Patents Act, 1970 has contributed immensely to the growth of our drugs and pharmaceuticals industry, which has enabled India to become a globally respected manufacturer of vaccines.

in pictures | India celebrates 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine dose

second wave shock

Although this joyful mood should not give way to complacency. It is still fresh in our memory of how the prime minister told chief ministers in early April that “we defeated COVID-19 without a vaccine”. A few months ago, before the disastrous second wave Premature claims of success and uncontrolled large gatherings paralyzed these claims, he claimed at the World Economic Forum on how well prepared India is to deal with the pandemic, defying the dire predictions of several international experts. Is. Compassionately, vaccine procurement was not prioritized and critical efforts, including ensuring the supply of oxygen in the event of an outbreak of infection, were neglected. People also left their guard believing the assurances of the government. As we all know, this had disastrous consequences, and millions of Indians paid for their lives.

Even though the Prime Minister has introduced the 100 crore vaccination mark in his usual self-promotional style – there are only two countries in the world that are said to have reached this level and we were not the first to do so. The bitter truth is that the second wave was a great tragedy that could have been avoided if the government had not let down the people of India. During that terrible, difficult time, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were nowhere to be seen or heard, but only reappeared when the situation improved. This was a repeat of their performance during the first wave, when, later sudden announcement of lockdown, Lakh migrant workers leftMILF left yourself To trample thousands of kilometers home to their villages. Untold numbers were destroyed along the way.

The country has not forgotten the shocking pictures of people till date. For families gasping for breath and desperately trying to get oxygen and hospital beds. His immense suffering is seen in our memory through the photographs of dead bodies scattered on the banks of the river And swimming on rivers. The government has not yet been able to tell the exact number of those who died due to their negligence. The government has not yet given compensation to the bereaved families. Instead, the powers that be have doubled down on obstinate attempts to divert attention and blame others. The government clearly hopes that the refusal will absolve people of responsibility for their miseries.

Vaccine orders

We appreciate science, but we know that our vaccination campaign would have started faster if governments respected scientific breakthroughs in other countries and placed enough orders for their vaccines. In fact, the situation could have been mitigated if the government had the foresight to place an order with India’s own leading vaccine manufacturer. The government’s initial “smart” vaccination strategy insisted that “there would be no need to vaccinate the entire population of the country”. Thus, India, the world’s largest producer of vaccines – a position achieved long before May 2014 – only fully vaccinated 0.5% of its population before the second wave.

editorial | Screenplay History: On 100 Crore COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

one more mistake

The intensity of the second wave demonstrated how wrong the government’s vaccination strategy was. but were complicated as blunders Government started procurement policy Those who had cash-strapped states competing with each other for the supply of vaccines. The constant pressure from state governments, the Supreme Court of India, opposition parties, the scientific community and civil society helped to deal with some of the missteps.

Unfortunately, the government treats the fight against COVID-19 as an event management exercise. NS Record two crore vaccinations seen on Prime Minister’s birthday, achieved partly by hoarding vaccines to increase the numbers for the ‘event’. Such vanity is unforgivable. This shows that India has the potential to vaccinate rapidly, but for some unclear reasons, the government has not chosen it. The government must answer a simple question: If two crore can be vaccinated on a chosen day, why not every day?

Vaccination flaws

In the nine months since we started the vaccination campaign, we have only able to fully vaccinate less than a third of our adult population. Countries with comparable COVID-19 figures and even countries with smaller or poorer economies have fared better. Even if manufacturers ramp up production rapidly, our vaccination rates will fail to catch up. In the first three weeks of October, it was 5 million doses a day. By the end of the year, all eligible adults would have to triple this rate to be vaccinated.

What’s more, the difference between the proportion of the population receiving at least one dose and two doses is the largest in India. This gap could be the result of domestic supply falling short of demand. The government refuses to explore a variety of ways, including mandatory licensing, to increase our domestic production of vaccines. Also, the government is yet to roll out plan to vaccinate our children which may be particularly vulnerable to future waves. We must protect our children immediately so that they can go back to school. India has the longest school closures across the world and the damage to their education and development cannot be counted.

We are also concerned that people’s immunity is decreasing over time, despite being vaccinated or infected. But the government has dealt with the questions about the booster shoot with complete ambiguity. It should, like other countries, develop a plan for booster shots based on scientific advice. Most importantly, scientific procedures need to be followed during the approval and procurement of vaccines. Truth and transparency should be the hallmark of government actions and communication with the public so that any vaccine hesitation can be avoided.

change in policy

The prime minister likes to emphasize that vaccines are free, while conveniently forgetting that they have always been free. It is the Bharatiya Janata Party government that has moved away from India’s universal free immunization policy. A significant portion of the population was forced to pay for vaccines because government centers lacked them. Many better citizens pooled in money to ensure vaccination of the poor. While praiseworthy, it is an indictment of the government, which has shifted its responsibility to the citizens and the private sector. Even 10% of our population cannot pay for vaccines, yet the government is allocating 25% of vaccines to the private sector. This is unacceptable – resulting in fewer, not more vaccinations.

In May 2021, the government announced that all eligible Indians would be double immunized by the end of 2021. With this hollow declaration there is neither proper planning nor execution. Experts say that we will miss this target by at least five to six months. The government must understand that vaccination of all Indians as early as possible is not only linked to the health of our citizens but also the wealth of our nation.

If we can drive away the dark clouds of COVID-19, a faltering economy can be turned. For this we need to accelerate the roll out of vaccines completely free for all, including our children. It is our best hope to protect our citizens, get our children back to school, revitalize our markets and make a massive positive impact across all sectors, thus ushering in the festive season and genuine optimism in the new year .

Sonia Gandhi is the President of Indian National Congress