In what will be the biggest inoculation drive in the world, India is gearing up to begin vaccinating its population against the ongoing coronavirus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the rollout of Covid-19 vaccination programme on January 16.
PM Modi will also launch the Co-WIN (COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network) App, a digital platform created for real-time monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine delivery and distribution.
Outlook has come out with a set of FAQs to clarify and address some of the doubts related to the inoculation drive:
Who will get the vaccine first?
Around three lakh healthcare workers will get vaccine shots on the first day of the massive nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive, a senior official said.
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Each vaccination session will cater to a maximum of 100 beneficiaries.
According to the guidelines issued to the shortlisted vaccination centres, healthcare workers (those registered in Co-WIN to be vaccinated) on the launch shall include not only doctors, nurses but also nursing orderlies, safai karamcharis, ambulance drivers, and would be from a mixed age group, including above 50 years.
How many vaccination centres will be there?
Around 2,934 inoculation centres have been set up. The Delhi government has designated 75 hospitals where the inoculation of Covid vaccines would be initiated from January 16 onwards.
Who is next in line?
Population above 50 years of age and those with co-morbidities. This category is further divided into those above 60 and those between 50-60 years.
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After the priority vaccination is over, the remaining population will be inoculated in a staggered manner.
How can one register for the vaccine?
The latest electoral roll for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be used to identify senior citizens in the later phases. It will require Aadhaar numbers to authenticate vaccine beneficiaries and send text messages - in at least 12 languages - with details of vaccination date and time.
It will include uploading a government photo identity or Aadhaar for registration and identification. A date, time and venue will be allocated for the subsequent inoculation. No on-the-spot registration will be allowed.
If there is a problem with the data, the individual can approach the district or block officer to register themselves. There will be three registration options - self, individual (an official will help in uploading data) and bulk upload.
What is the vaccination process?
Registered participants will assemble at the prescribed venue on the appointed day. After the vaccine is administered, they will be kept in an observation room for 30 minutes to check for any adverse reactions.
A five-member vaccination team will overlook the process. Two doses of vaccines, 28 days apart, need to be taken by an individual to complete the vaccination schedule.
