PM Modi Chairs Covid-19 Vaccine Review Meeting; Says It Should Be Affordable, Universal

During the meeting with key officials, Prime Minister highlighted India’s commitment to play an enabling role in the vaccination efforts against COVID-19. He also reviewed the current status of vaccine development efforts at the meeting.

PM Modi highlighted India’s commitment to play an enabling role in the vaccination. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Narendra Modi on Tuesday afternoon chaired a high-level meeting to review the planning and preparations for vaccination against COVID-19, as and when the vaccine will be available in the country. During the meeting with key officials, Prime Minister highlighted India’s commitment to play an enabling role in the vaccination efforts against COVID-19. He also reviewed the current status of vaccine development efforts at the meeting. Prime Minister noted that vaccination of India’s vast and diverse population will need to factor in issues including those related to management of medical supply chains, prioritization of at-risk populations, coordination between different agencies involved in the process, as well as the role of private sector and civil society in this national endeavour. ALSO READ | 80 Cr People To Get Free Food Grains Till November-End, Says PM Modi In His Address To Nation For the same, PM directed officials to evaluate in a broad manner available technology options that can form the backbone of the national endeavor to vaccinate all in the most efficient and timely manner. He further directed that detailed planning for such large scale vaccination should be undertaken immediately. Prime Minister enunciated four guiding principles that will form the foundation of this national effort:

• First, that vulnerable groups should be identified and prioritized for early vaccination, for example doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, non-medical frontline Coronavirus warriors, and vulnerable people among the general population.
• Second, that vaccination of “anyone, anywhere” should take place, ie without imposition of any domicile related restrictions for getting the vaccine.
• Third, that vaccination must be affordable and universal - no person should be left behind.
• Fourth, that the entire process from production to vaccination should be monitored and supported in real time with the use of technology.

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech has announced that the vaccine being developed by the company will soon enter human trials. The vaccine being developed by the Hyderabad company is India's first vaccine candidate to enter clinical trials. A nationwide trial of the vaccine will begin from July 2020 READ HERE | India’s First Covid 19 Vaccine Candidate, Covaxin By Bharat Biotech, Set To Begin Human Trials From July According to a report by ANI, the company developed the vaccine, Covaxin in collaboration with ICMR and the national institute to virology (NIV) by using a strain of  SARS-CoV-2 which was isolated at the NIV. The inactive virus was then used to create Covaxin in the company’s Bio Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.