The challenge is to balance the COVID-19 vaccine doses available with the number of people we can vaccinate based on the priority list, says AIIMS Chief Dr Randeep Guleria. He highlighted that the need of the hour is to inoculate more people and gradually open up to cover the lower age groups.
Guleria, speaking at The Indian Express Idea Exchange e-event, acknowledged that fact that India is a very large country. “If we were to say that we would want to vaccinate the entire adult population for which the vaccine has been currently approved, then that would mean close to one billion people,” he explained. “We will need two billion doses and there is no way that we could get two billion doses if we have to open it up for everyone.”
The expert believes one needs to see how the trend is. “If you find that after a week or 10 days, the number of people coming for vaccination are falling, open it up for a lower age group and gradually do that.” Guleria said there are people in the lower age group who are wanting to be vaccinated whereas others who are in the older age group meet the criteria, but still are reluctant and not willing to take the vaccine and are holding up the line.
India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, which kicked off on January 16, has recorded a lukewarm response with several states still not being able to meet the target of inoculating their healthcare and frontline workers.
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The AIIMS chief highlighted that there are five vaccination sites at AIIMS, Delhi which normally does 100 per site and on an average, vaccinates 600 beneficiaries daily. “On Thursday, we vaccinated 996 people and we thought we would cross the 1000 mark. But these are early days. If this continues, then we are in a very good position. But let’s say after 10 days we see only 50% of the people coming, that means we are reaching a saturation point for those who want to get themselves vaccinated.” He recommended for the opening of the lowe age group.
