Coronavirus vaccine: Even 10 days soon after the vaccination drive was opened up for folks aged above 18 years, various states have not but been in a position to commence the vaccination of folks in the 18 – 44 age group, mostly due to lack of sufficient doses. In Punjab, for instance, the phase 1 and phase 2 of vaccination drive – in which healthcare workers, frontline workers and folks above the age of 45 years are getting inoculated – in getting carried out, the third phase of vaccination has but to commence. To comprehend this challenge of vaccine shortage, it is significant to know all about the vaccine provide chain in India.
Supply of vaccines to the states
When the phase 1 and phase 2 of inoculation drive had been underway, the Centre was procuring all the vaccine doses from the companies – Serum Institute of India in case of Covishield and Bharat Biotech for Covaxin – and delivering it free of charge of price to the states. Now, in the third phase, these companies are essential to provide the Centre with half of the vaccine doses they manufacture, which would be supplied to the states free of charge of price for the inoculation healthcare workers, frontline workers and folks above the age of 45.
On the other hand, the companies would be free of charge to sell their remaining doses straight to the states and private hospitals, and for this, the doses would be priced in accordance with the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy that came into impact with the starting of this month. The states would be essential to obtain the vaccine shots meant for beneficiaries among the ages of 18 and 44. Meanwhile, private hospitals would also have to obtain the doses from companies.
Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy explained
Under this method, there are two channels for the provide of vaccines. Of these, one includes the Government of India, although the other is known as “Other than Government of India” channel. In the former, the Centre will procure 50% of the manufactured doses from the vaccine producers in India, although the remaining 50% of the doses can be supplied by companies straight to states and private hospitals.
Impact of the policy on cost of vaccine shots
For the beneficiaries of phase 1 and phase 2 of the vaccination drive, the jabs are free of charge of price at all government vaccination websites. Moreover, as announced by states, folks aged among 18 years and 44 years would also be administered shots free of charge of price at government centres.
The Centre is procuring vaccines from each SII and Bharat Biotech at Rs 150 a dose, but the states have to spend Rs 300 for a dose of Covishield, and Rs 600 for a dose of Covaxin. Moreover, private hospitals have to spend an even larger price of Rs 600 for a Covishield dose and Rs 1200 for a Covaxin dose. Not only that but private hospitals are no longer finding free of charge doses from the Centre. Thus, in two of the private hospitals in Punjab, all eligible beneficiaries would now have to spend Rs 900 for a shot of Covishield and Rs 1,250 for a Covaxin dose.
Issue in Punjab
Punjab has placed an order of 30 lakh Covishield doses for the beneficiaries of the third phase of inoculation drive but the very first consignment of vaccine doses from Pune-based SII has nevertheless not been delivered. Meanwhile, a couple of private hospitals, majorly Mohali-based Max Hospital and Fortis Hospital, have received their vaccination doses beneath their direct agreement with the companies, and have as a result began the vaccination of beneficiaries aged among 18 and 44 years. Meanwhile, Rajasthan and Haryana, which are adjacent to Punjab, have currently received their very first consignments and have as a result began the inoculation of their 18+ beneficiaries free of charge of price.
Meanwhile, the vaccination of beneficiaries aged above 45 years has been carried out as usual, and among May 1 and 15, the Centre has committed to provide for the beneficiaries of phase 1 and phase 2, 6.15 lakh doses of vaccines to Punjab. As of May 7, 3.75 lakh doses have been offered to the state, according to the information released by the Centre.
Supply of vaccine to districts in Punjab
Centre gives Punjab with vaccines in batches of a couple of lakhs at a time, soon after which they are sent to districts on the basis of their population and the quantity of active situations they have. This leads to the districts getting a couple of thousand doses at a time, and these jabs are exhausted in a couple of days.
The report mentioned that Centre sends vaccines to Punjab either by way of the air route, in which case the doses are shipped to Chandigarh straight from SII, or by way of road from the Centre’s Karnal warehouse.
From Chandigarh, districts are essential to gather their share of vaccines inside a span of 24 hours applying their vans. Moreover, there is barely in spare stock left in Chandigarh as the provide as effectively as the demand are mainly equal.