Mumbai: Organised Medicine Academic Guild (OMGA) has appreciated India’s achievement of the historic landmark of 100 crore people being vaccinated in just 278 days.
Speaking to UNI OMGA General Secretary Dr I S Gilada said we appraise for vaccination of 100 crore people in the country. But, on the contrary, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) should quickly review phase III data of the available vaccine to issue regular licenses for tested ones, rather than continuing their emergency use authorisation (EMA) mode.
Dr Gilada also suggested overcoming the Gender gap, giving priority to women and allotting 25 per cent of the vaccination quota to the private sector. There should be a round o’clock vaccination Programme for a total of at least 16 hours in a day that is from 0800 hrs to Midnight.
OMGA panel Doctors said administering over 100 crores doses against Covid within 278 days since the vaccination rollout began on January 16, 2021.
All 99.9 per cent of these vaccine doses are domestically manufactured within the nation with Covishield (Oxford AstraZeneca) accounting for maximum doses administered 89 per cent. Then, about 11 per Cent doses administered are of Covaxin and a very small number of Sputnik V, have also been administered.
No doubt, crossing 100 crore vaccine doses is a real festival for India, but mind well, we are 0half way through for reaching the hypothetical figure of 70 per cent (140 crore population x 2 doses = 280 doses, 70 per cent of that is 196 crore doses of the population being Vaccinated for attaining the Herd Immunity. India is aiming to fully vaccinate all eligible people above 18 years of age, 94 crores, a little less than a billion people.
A recent decision on approval of another vaccine for the 12-17 age bracket, will add another 17 crore people. With the requirement of two doses to fully vaccinate each person, we need to administer a total of 222 crore doses, which means additionally 122 crore doses within a limited time period, to meet the chosen deadline of December 31, 2021. India has successfully turned adversary to opportunity, Dr Gilada added.
