In a bid to finally get rid of the menace of COVID-19 disease, central and state governments in India are all geared up to begin the cross-nation vaccination drive, probably the most pervasive one in the history of Indian healthcare.
The vaccination drive began on January 13, 2021. People in India are still puzzled about the procedure they have to follow to get the much-awaited vaccine shot.
Well, worry no more, as the government has released an eight-step guide for the distribution of the life-saving shots.
Did you know?
Step 1 – Registration: Every person who is willing to get the vaccine is supposed to register himself/herself (as the beneficiary) on the Co-WIN system using photo identity proof. It is worth mentioning that Co-WIN is an app developed by the central government to maintain flawless data, and execute the vaccination drive transparently.
Step 2 – Vaccination details: Once the registration is complete, the beneficiary will receive SMS on his/her registered cellphone number.
Step 3 – Vaccination Officer No 1 (VO-1): The government has appointed a few Vaccination Officers to help the beneficiaries go through the vaccination process with ease at the site. The VO-1 will pre-check the registration and photo ID proof of the beneficiary, and also assist in managing the queues and crowd at the site. These officers are originally policemen, home guards, civil defense personnel, NCC, NSS or NYK members.
Step 4 – Verification Officer No 2 (VO-2): The VO-2 will cross verify and authenticate the beneficiaries’ documents on Co-WIN.
Step 5 – Vaccination Officer No 3 (VO-3): This officer will be a healthcare practitioner who will administer the vaccine to the beneficiary.
Step 6 – Waiting time: Once the vaccine is administered, the beneficiary will be asked to wait in the “observation area” for 30 minutes to keep a check on any kind of minor to major side-effects.
Step 7 – Monitoring of observation area: The government has appointed Vaccination Officer No 4 and 5 to ensure 30 minute wait time for every beneficiary. They will also guide the non-registered beneficiaries at the site.
Step 8 – Second dose: As specified in the SMS received after the first dose of vaccine, the beneficiaries will have to come for the second dose on the due date to ensure complete protection against COVID-19.
Preventing serious illnesses, hospitalizations and chances of death are some of the advantages of covid-19 vaccination in an individual, especially in patients who have multiple comorbidities.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D
As of now, the Co-WIN system is not live on Android or iOS platforms. It is still in the pre-product stage. However, the government has ensured to upload on it the data of healthcare workers, who will be the first in line to get vaccinated. As per the government, about 75 lakh healthcare workers have already been registered on the app.
More importantly, if you have already downloaded or installed any app from Play Store or App Store with the name “Co-WIN”, it is not going to work, and may only have been created by some imposter to get access to your personal data. So, you should uninstall it immediately.
It may be recalled that the central government-appointed panel, the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration (NEGVAC), had recently released a priority list for the vaccine administration.
The panel suggested that healthcare workers (about 1 crore) will be the first to get the vaccine, followed by frontline workers (2 crores) and people above the age of 50 years (about 27 crores). The panel also confirmed that people with associated comorbidities will also get the vaccine in the first phase.
Well, it seems like the government has prepared a full-proof plan to execute this massive drive efficiently. Still, it is not going to be a difficult situation given the huge population of our country. Hence, as the responsible citizens of the country, we must abide by the rules set by our government, and should not show any haste in getting the vaccination.
2020, the most challenging year for the world in living memory, is drawing to a close. India too witnessed a massive healthcare crisis and a financial downturn. But the good news is that the pandemic is slowing down in India. Most experts and doctors feel that we have reached our peak in September, and now COVID cases will slowly decline. Besides, it is only a matter of months before we have a COVID vaccine!
So, why has the Union Health Ministry issued a fresh set of guidelines that are coming into effect and will stay in force until 31st December? For starters, not all states have been able to flatten the curve, and COVID is showing no signs of slowing down. Secondly, even those states that have been able to more or less contain the spread of COVID, need to continue to be cautious, else there could be another break-out.
So what are the new guidelines all about?
The Centre Government has asked states to impose night curfews whenever and wherever needed. It is up to the state authorities to analyse the condition and see if restrictive measures are necessary. States can also declare containment zones. But they will NOT impose lockdown outside of the containment zones.
States will be able to reduce work hours, implement WFH or similar measures in those cities where COVID positivity rate is more than 10. By reducing the number of employees coming to the office all at once, the spread of COVID can be contained.
States will have full power to take action against any individual who refuses to follow the COVID protocol, such as not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.
The Centre has assured the states that there will be no prohibition of the movement of both people and goods from one state to another. Cross border trade will continue with neighbouring countries.
This mantra will continue to be the state’s focus in curbing the spread of COVID. Surveillance teams will be posted in containment zones. Their job is to ensure that COVID patients are isolated and receiving the treatment they need. Police will be patrolling the zones and along with municipal authorities will make sure that all containment measures are being implemented. People will not be allowed into or out of containment zones except for emergencies.
The Union Government has also released Standard Operating Procedures, also called SOPs for how to behave in crowded places. Crowded Indian market places continue to be high-risk transmission spots, and utter caution is called for to combat the spread of COVID.
The Centre has requested the states to stress the importance of online shopping of groceries, medicines, and other essentials. It has also asked State authorities to consider giving discounts or incentives for non-peak-hour shopping.
In containment zones, markets and shops will remain closed. People who are currently living in a containment zone but have shops outside of the containment zone will not be allowed to open their stores. No such restriction is required for shops and stores operating in non-containment zones.
Instead of government or municipal authorities directly intervening in the COVID SOPs of a market, the market should form its own subcommittee that will be responsible for the implementation of COVID protocol. The state government should make arrangements for mass thermal screening, handwashing stations, public washrooms, contact-less soap dispensers in all large markets in the state.
The wait for the end of COVID is near. But we cannot afford to be careless now. Let us cooperate fully with our governments and follow all the instructions to keep everyone safe.
The COVID-19 outbreak has shaken the global health system and economy by its roots. This epidemic is continuously spreading and showing no signs of slowing down. Vaccination could be the only effective and economical means to control or stop this pandemic. Many research institutions and pharmaceutical companies worldwide are currently involved in the development of a suitable coronavirus vaccine.
The development of coronavirus vaccines consists of the following steps e.g. exploratory, pre-clinical and clinical stages.
1. Exploratory stage – It is the basic research in the laboratory of the conceptual idea and development of an antigen against the disease against which a vaccine needs to be produced which usually takes 2–4 years’ timeframe.
2. Pre-clinical stage of development – It uses a platform of tissue-culture and animal testing to assess the safety of the vaccine. They may also suggest the safest starting dose for the next phase of research as well as the safest method of administering the covid vaccine. This stage usually takes 1–2 years and out of 100 potential candidates, 6 usually pass through this stage.
3. Clinical stages of development – Consist of at least 3 stages and the 4th post-marketing safety assessment is also mandatory. These are performed on Human volunteers.
The efforts on coronavirus vaccine began initially in China as soon as the outbreak of coronavirus erupted and then world-over as the disease was declared a pandemic by WHO. Eventually, each country got into the race of developing the vaccine to be 1st in the world to safeguard its population & have an advantage over other countries.
Conclusion:
Covid 19 pandemic is raging, even escalating. That puts pressure on all the countries to rush for a covid vaccine. Under such pressure, countries may authorize emergency use of a vaccine on specified groups without waiting for the completion of Phase III trials which could be harmful. We all have shown great patience till now, let’s continue the same by taking all the safety measures & following Government guidelines.
COVID-19 vaccine drive –
More than 80 million people in India have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 11.1 million people have been fully vaccinated in what is the world’s biggest inoculation drive. Here’s how you can book a COVID-19 vaccine for your loved ones.
From March 1 onwards, all people above the age of 60 will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This is the second phase of India’s COVID vaccination programme and it will benefit 10 crore people across the whole nation.
| Vaccine | Developed By | Country | Stage | Update |
| ChAdOx1-S | Oxford University and has been licensed to AstraZeneca | The United Kingdom and India | Phase 3 | South Africa has halted use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine after evidence emerged that the vaccine did not protect clinical-trial participants from mild or moderate illness caused by the more contagious virus variant that was first seen in the country. |
| BNT162b2 Vaccine | Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech & Fosun Pharmaceuticals | USA, Germany & China | Concluded Phase 3
U.K regulator on Dec 2 declared the vaccine for use. | FDA have described changes to the guidelines for the transportation and storage of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. They explain that it can now be transported and stored at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to 2 weeks. If the FDA grants Pfizer’s request, the change could significantly speed up the vaccine rollout in the United States. |
| EpiVacCorona | Vektor Centre, Novosibirsk | Russia | Given regulatory approval | A clinical trial with 40,000 volunteers to begin soon |
| mRNA-1273 Vaccine | Moderna along with NIH | United States | Phase 3 | vaccine shows ‘no specific safety concerns. Results of the first analysis to be published by end of November. Early data shows 95% efficacy. |
| Sputnik V Vaccine | Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology | Russia | Developed.
Inadequate reports to prove the Vaccine’s efficacy and safety. | Phase 3 results analysis shows 92% efficacy. Phase 2 & 3 Trials in India to begin soon. Approved in Russia. |
| Covaxin | Bharat Biotech | India | Rollout begun | The most reliable longer-term protection against coronavirus is provided through vaccination, experts said noting that the immunity afforded by the presence of antibodies might be expected to last only several months. |
| ZyCoV-D | Zydus Cadila | India | Phase 1 & 2 | Has also begun working on a COVID drug to treat patients |
| CoronaVac Vaccine | Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd. (China) in collaboration with Institution Butantan | China & Brazil | Phase 3 | Trials halted in Brazil. Turkey and Indonesia begin late-phase human trials |
| Ad5-nCoV
Vaccine | CanSino Biologics company in collaboration with Beijing Institute of Biotechnology | China | Phase 3 | Russia & Pakistan to begin Phase 3 trials |
| NVX-CoV2373 | Novavax | US | Phase 3 | Signed an agreement with SII to provide vaccine to low and middle-income countries post-approval |
| Janssen COVID-19 vaccine | Johnson & Johnson | US | Phase 3 | Preparations underway to roll out 1 billion doses in 2021 |
| Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine | Sanofi Pasteur in partnership with Translate Bio & GlaxoSmithKline | US & UK | Phases 1 & 2 | Phase 3 trials to commence by end of December |
The number of COVID-19 cases caused due to COVID-19 is rising worldwide, nearly 7 months after it was first detected. Being a respiratory pathogen, the virus affects both the upper and lower respiratory tract of humans.
With no known cure in sight, and vaccine development still in process, panic has once again gripped everyone after a group of scientists have suggested findings which support the possibility of the COVID-19 virus to be airborne. This means that the risk of transmission of the virus is much higher than what was originally thought.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the airborne transmission may be possible in specific circumstances and settings. These include settings in which medical procedures that generate droplets (smaller than 5 microns) from patients such as bronchoscopy or disconnecting a patient from the ventilator. These droplets could be suspended in the air for some time before settling down on surfaces.
Till date, social distancing and hand washing are the measures suggested by the WHO in order to prevent people from contracting the disease.
Transmission of novel coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through surfaces/objects.
Transmission of virus can occur through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected people through saliva and respiratory droplets which are expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes & talks. In these situations, respiratory droplets that include the virus can reach the mouth, nose or eyes of a healthy person and can result in infection. Indirect contact transmission involving contact of a person with a contaminated object or surface may also be possible.
Covid is very contagious and people who get infected with the coronavirus can spread it to others 2 to 3 days before symptoms start and are most contagious 1 to 2 days before they feel sick.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Airborne transmission can be explained as the spread of infectious droplets that are released in air over long distances and time. These transmissions can occur during medical procedures that generate droplets or through an infected individual.
A susceptible person could inhale aerosols and could become infected if the aerosols contain the virus in enough quantity to cause infection within the recipient. However, enough proportion of exhaled droplets that evaporate to generate aerosols is required to cause infection in another person is not yet known, but it has been studied for other respiratory viruses. Thus, much more research is needed given the possible implications of such a route of transmission.
The primary mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is via exposure to respiratory droplets carrying the infectious virus from close contact or droplet transmission from presymptomatic, asymptomatic, or symptomatic individuals harboring the virus.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
There is still not enough or convincing evidence to prove that novel coronavirus is airborne. The experts believe that even if there is no ‘significant’ proof that COVID-19 can be transmitted through droplets. However, the experts suggest that the virus is more infectious in closed settings, without proper ventilation.
They also point out that the idea of droplet transmission due to droplets hanging in the air for a long period of time is capable of infecting a healthy person.
Now more than ever, it is absolutely necessary that you always wear a face mask when you are out of the house.
Asymptomatic patients can be carriers and spreaders of the virus as well. Hence it is essential to maintain social distance (more than 6 feet) when you are outdoors.
Older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions are at higher risk of serious illness.
Wash your hands with soap or water/ alcohol-based sanitizer frequently. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. Make sure that you cover your nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing.
There are chances that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object. Use common household disinfectants to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, handles, phones, and switches.
The virus that causes COVID-19 can lead to some flu-like symptoms, such as aches, fever, and cough. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should get in touch with your doctor immediately.
We are yet to completely understand the extent of airborne transmission of coronavirus due to poor ventilation & through infect or an asymptomatic person. Many such unanswered questions about transmission of the virus are still pending and research to seek these answers is ongoing and encouraged.
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