29,000 Cold Chain Points, 41,000 Deep Freezers - India Gets Ready For Covid Vaccine Storage

The guidelines for estimation of electrical and non-electrical cold chain equipment and their strengthening have been issued to states by the Centre

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan while speaking to reporters in New Delhi. (Image: ANI)

New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Tuesday announced opened up about the government’s plan for the cold storage chains across the country for the massive scale vaccination against the Covid-19 disease. According to Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, 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 refrigerators will be available for vaccine storage. “All these equipment have already been delivered to the states. Some other equipment is being supplied,” he said. During a press conference, Bhushan stated that the guidelines for the management of cold chain at last cold chain points and session sites have also been issued. The guidelines for estimation of electrical and non-electrical cold chain equipment and their strengthening have been issued to states by the Centre. He further added that training modules for people handling the vaccinations like medical officers, vaccinator officers, alternative vaccinator officers, cold chain handlers, supervisors, data managers, and ASHA coordinators have commenced both physically and via digital platforms. Moreover, the National and State Training of Trainers (ToTs) workshops has also been completed. Talking about the adverse effects of the vaccine, especially in pregnant women and children, Bhushan said, “Adverse events following immunization is a critical issue. When we undertake a universal immunization program, which has been done for decades, then some adverse effects are seen in children and pregnant women after vaccination.” Advising the states and Union territories to be prepared to handle such situations since these effects had already happened in the UK on the first day of their vaccination drive, Bhushan added that 23 ministries and departments in the Centre and states have been identified and assigned roles like planning, implementation, social mobilization, awareness generation, among others, for the vaccine roll-out. The announcement of the plans for the mass vaccination drive comes a few days after the Union Government said that the vaccination drive is just a few months away. Ashwini Choubey Union Minister of State for Health earlier said that only 100 people per day. “We are going to start the process of sending necessary equipment for storage and handling of coronavirus vaccine to states. For now, only 100 people will be given the vaccine at a booth per day. Eventually, everyone will get the vaccine,” he said. According to the ‘Covid-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines’, vaccine carriers, vaccine vials, and ice packs are to be strictly kept out of direct sunlight.  At the end of the session, the vaccine carrier with all ice packs and unopened vaccine vials should be sent back to the distributing cold chain point,” the guidelines stated. India has till now recorded 9,906,165 coronavirus cases and 143,709 deaths.