News Analysis India

Tag: Covid vaccination

  • Mobile recharge coupons, sarees, make-up boxes: Gifts galore to boost COVID vaccinations in MP

    By PTI
    BHOPAL/INDORE/BETUL: In a bid to encourage people to take COVID-19 jabs and overcome hesitancy, Madhya Pradesh government officials and various organisations have started offering prizes and gifts, ranging from mobile phone recharge coupons to sarees and make-up boxes, especially in rural areas.

    Bhopal district administration is offering mobile recharge coupons worth Rs 200 through lottery while an organisation in a village in Betul district is distributing umbrellas and sarees.

    A traders’ outfit in Indore has also announced various rewards totalling Rs one lakh to encourage people to get themselves vaccinated.

    “Five persons won mobile vouchers worth Rs 200 each through a lucky draw on Wednesday. This initiative was launched to encourage vaccination,” a Bhopal district official said.

    In Indore, the Association of Industries Madhya Pradesh, an organisation of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) companies, announced a reward scheme to strengthen inoculation.

    “We are seeing that many workers in industrial plants in Indore are not getting themselves vaccinated due to different reasons. So we have decided to encourage them through a reward scheme,” said Association president Pramod Dafaria.

    He said prizes, including items like juicers, mixers and cookers, worth Rs one lakh would be distributed on July 20 to 100 vaccinated labourers through a lucky draw.

    An estimated one lakh workers are currently working in local industrial plants, he said, adding that the Association has also asked its member industrialists to get workers in their respective factories vaccinated by July 10.

    Another organisation is offering umbrellas and sarees for those getting themselves vaccinated in Simori village in Betul district.

    “All the doses of vaccines were exhausted within the first two hours of the announcement of this scheme,” said a volunteer in Simori village.

    He said 40 sarees and a good number of masks were distributed on the occasion.

    Besides, make-up boxes were also distributed to women.

    Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday recorded 84 new cases of COVID-19 and 21 casualties that raised the tally of infections to 7,89,499 and took the toll to 8,827, the state health department said.

    On July 21, Madhya Pradesh set a new record for itself by vaccinating more than 16 lakh people against COVID-19 as part of a mega inoculation campaign launched to coincide with International Yoga Day, exceeding the set target of 10 lakh inoculations for that day.

  • ‘PR event’: Congress slams dip in COVID-19 vaccinations after record high of nearly 89 lakh 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday attacked the government over the dip in vaccination numbers after a record high earlier this week with former party chief Rahul Gandhi saying the country is not safe unless vaccination is done on a large scale but sadly the government is “unable to move beyond a PR event”.

    Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also lashed out at the Centre over the dip in the number of vaccinations after India achieved a “historic milestone” of administering 88.09 lakh coronavirus vaccine doses in a single day on June 21, the numbers dipped to over 53.4 lakh on Tuesday.

    “The Delta variant (of coronavirus) is knocking on the doors of the country. Only 3. 6 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated but the PM has taken on the role of EM event manager,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

    After patting his own back, the vaccinations saw a drop of 40 per cent the next day, the Congress general secretary said.

    “Formula of record vaccination. Madhya Pradesh, June 20: 692 vaccine doses administered, June 21: 16,91,967, June 22: 4,825,” Priyanka Gandhi said.

    “Collected vaccines, used it in a single day for event, then a dip the next day.

    For administering vaccines to all adults by December, 80-90 lakh vaccine doses will have to be administered daily,” she said.

    Rahul Gandhi said unless coronavirus vaccination is done on a large scale continuously, “our country is not safe”.

    “Sadly, the central government is not able to move beyond a PR event,” the former Congress chief said in a tweet in Hindi.

    In a tweet, senior Congress spokesperson P Chidambaram said, “Look at the numbers for MP, Karnataka and Haryana on Sunday to Tuesday. BJP governments pulling a rabbit out of a hat! Pure magic for a day!” He tagged a media report on the vaccine doses administered in various states, showing the dip in numbers after the record high on Monday.

    “Watch UP and Gujarat numbers for a few more days,” Chidambaram added.

    “I am appalled that eminent doctors attribute Monday’s record to ‘planning’. The plan was to ‘doctor’ the numbers on Monday,” the former Union minister alleged.

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also highlighted the Madhya Pradesh vaccination numbers for the last three days to attack the government and asked “who are we trying to fool”.

    Attacking the government, Chidambaram had said on Wednesday, “Hoard on Sunday, vaccinate on Monday, and go back to limping on Tuesday. That is the secret behind the world ‘record’ of vaccinations on a ‘single day’.”

    “I am sure the ‘feat’ will find a place in the Guinness book of records! Who knows, there may be a Nobel Prize for Medicine awarded to the Modi government,” he had said.

  • Officer-in-charge made to speed up Kovid vaccination and prevent confusion

    Collector Saurabh Kumar has made officers of various departments in-charge officers in Raipur district with the aim of increasing the speed of vaccination under the Kovid-19 vaccination campaign and redressing any confusion regarding vaccination and motivating them for vaccination. has gone.
    It is noteworthy that from June 21, registration is being done through the Kovin portal for the vaccination of all citizens above the age of 18 years. Persons who have difficulty in self-registration can also register by attending the vaccination center with Aadhar card or any other valid identity proof.
    In this regard, the driver and other staff. Shri Shailabh Sahu, Regional Transport Officer has been made the in-charge officer for Truck Organization, Taxi Organization, Bus Operator Organization, Auto Organization etc. Similarly, for persons working in industries, industrial establishments, industrial organizations, etc., Shri P.K. Trivedi, General Manager, District Industries Center, Shri Pulak Bhattacharya, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Construction Agencies, Working Workers / Contractor Organizations, Prime Minister, Chief Minister Village Road Scheme, Water Resources Department, Public Health Engineering for residential colonies and related organizations etc. , Rural Engineering Services. For CSPDCL, etc., concerned Executive Engineer, Ration Shop Operator, Beneficiary and Hotel/Restaurant/Petrol Pump, LPG. Mr. Tarun Rathore for distributor, staff and related organization, Food Controller, staff of government/ non-governmental schools, colleges, universities, adult students and related organizations etc. Mr. A. N Banjara, District Education Officer, staff posted in banks and post offices, customers visiting there and bank and post office related organizations, etc. Shri Prashant Sharma, Lead Bank Manager, staff working in railway station, commuters and concerned railway organizations For etc. Shri Devkant Sahu Principal, Women I.T.I. The head of the concerned office has been made the officer-in-charge for Saddu and all the departments’ district and subordinate offices and there officers/employees, related officer-employee organizations, etc.
    Shri Ashish Mishra, Public Relations Officer, Smart City Private Limited for various non-government / social organizations etc., Shri Bhupendra Pandey, Joint Director, Social Welfare, Jail Superintendent for Orphanage, Old Age Home and related organizations etc. and Print & Electronic Shri Pankaj Gupta, Joint Director, Public Relations Department, has been made the officer-in-charge for media and related organizations.
    Vaccination camp can be done if there are more than 100 persons
    These officers-in-charge, by contacting and coordinating with the concerned groups of people, will motivate them for Kovid-19 vaccination and will also ensure publicity regarding the nearest vaccination centers. Similarly, if there is availability of more than 100 persons, Mr. Rajiv Kumar Pandey, Joint Collector and District Nodal Officer, can be contacted for organizing vaccination camp.

  • Invoke compulsory license provisions to ramp up vaccine production: Congress to government

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday made a slew of recommendations to the government on tackling the coronavirus pandemic such as ensuring free and universal vaccination in the shortest possible time frame and invoking the compulsory license provision to allow more firms to manufacture the jabs to ramp up domestic production.

    The party also recommended allocation of vaccines to states based on a “justifiable formula” centered on evidence and providing ex-gratia relief of at least Rs 4 lakh for all coronavirus related deaths.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi released a ‘white paper’ by the party on the handling of COVID-19 and urged the government to prepare for the third wave by improving medical infrastructure and carrying out vaccination on a war footing to protect all Indians.

    The white paper alleged that the “mismanagement” of the COVID-19 pandemic has been “independent India’s gravest governance failure”.

    The Union government under Prime Minister Modi did not take adequate measures to prevent and contain the pandemic, the 150-page document said.

    Some of the key recommendations made in the white paper are ensuring all Indians receive free and universal vaccination in the shortest possible time frame, the government share a detailed weekly roadmap of progress towards its announced December 31, 2021 deadline to vaccinate all of India’s adults and compulsory license provisions be invoked under the Patents Act 1970 to ramp up domestic vaccine production.

    It also urged the government to collaborate with vaccine manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and foreign governments to ensure a steady supply of raw materials and vaccines for India.

    “Allocate vaccines to states based on a transparent, justifiable formula, centered on evidence, equity and particular local requirements,” the white paper said in its recommendations.

    It asked the government to take accurate vaccine-related and COVID-19-related data publicly available in a transparent manner.

    The white paper also urged the Centre to implement political and administrative measures including a national level, all-party committee to review measures to contain the pandemic, to improve coordination with state governments, and to collaborate with civil society.

    It asked the government to decentralize decision-making, management of critical resources and transfer funds to the district level to organise essential health services, from primary to tertiary care, and address regional imbalances.

    It also called on the government to prepare for possible third and future waves by heeding expert advice, scaling up testing significantly (especially in rural areas), and pooling human resources at the state and district levels.

    “Provide ex-gratia relief of at least Rs.4 lakh for all COVID-19 related deaths under the Disaster Management Act, 2005,” the white paper recommended to the government.

    It also asked the government to implement relief measures including a minimum income support scheme for the poor and most vulnerable, continue free food supplies to the poor, reduce excise taxes on petrol and diesel, grant wage subsidies to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), increase budgetary support to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and provide relief for the urban poor.

    “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on India, it is imperative that the Modi government set aside divisive and discriminatory political agendas, exclusionary policies, and implements these recommendations to help mitigate the ongoing second wave, and to ensure that India is well prepared to face future waves of the pandemic,” the white paper said.

  • Skin complications post COVID vaccination reported in some people, say dermatologists

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: From inflammatory rashes to scaly patches, skin-related complications have been reported in some people after Covid vaccination, but the number of such cases so far is “very miniscule” to make a direct correlation, say dermatologists.

    While fever, body ache and weakness are common reactions in response to vaccination, doctors said a few people, after getting the jabs, have also complained of skin or other dermatological issues.

    At some of the leading hospitals in Delhi, skin-care specialists said some people, from the initial days to a couple of weeks since vaccination, have visited the facilities after exhibiting complications.

    However, dermatologists in Delhi and Mumbai said these cases are very few and far between and no major skin complications have been seen in people post vaccination, so they “should not hesitate” to get themselves inoculated against Covid.

    Dr Nidhi Rohtagi, Senior Consultant, Dermatology at the Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj, said post-Covid dermatological complications have been reported in many cases, but post-vaccination skin issues are being seen too, but the percentage of such cases is “very miniscule”.

    “I have seen a couple of cases so far at our hospital. One male and and one female had developed skin reactions after a few days of vaccination. They had no known history of dermatological issues,” she said.

    “We prescribed topical steroids and after applying it, it disappeared in some days. So others should not worry. Covid vaccination is safe and these complications have been reported in such a small number of vaccinated people that one cannot directly link the two,” Rohtagi said.

    For people with a prior history of skin allergy and complications, in some cases, those could be getting triggered again, so a skin doctor should be consulted after vaccination if any dermatological issues crop up, experts said.

    When a vaccine shot is administered, the immune system activates, preparing the body to recognise and combat the virus in the future.

    This immune response and the inflammation that goes with it can sometimes result in a rash, experts said.

    Mumbai-based dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon Dr Sonali Kohli said, “I have come across a couple of cases of dermatological complications, including of hair loss, but that generally happens two-three weeks after vaccination.”

    However, such cases are very few and hence, “no concrete conclusion can be drawn that there is a direct correlation between vaccination and the skin complications seen thereafter”.

    In the case of adenovector vaccines, authorised for emergency use in India, the immune response system is “artificially triggered”.

    “In some cases, these could lead to an exaggerated immune response and depending on the body condition of the persons, may exhibit skin complications like rashes,” Kohli said.

    The dermatologist, however, said it does not mean that a person who suffers from such complications is weaker compared to those who did not after vaccination.

    “Our bodies react differently to different vaccines, and it is also possible that skin complications could be the result of something else and just happened to coincide with the post-vaccination timing,” she said.

    Asked what are the red flags for a vaccinated person as far as skin complications are concerned, Kohli said if in the first 48-72 hours, someone feels there is itching, hives, any swelling in the oral cavity like lips or inside the mouth, or fluid-filled blisters have erupted on large parts of the skin, it should be reported to a doctor.

    “Soreness and dryness on the site of the injection is not a red flag, it could just be immediate hypersensitivity reaction due to a component in the vaccine and will subside,” she added.

    Skin reactions due to the mRNA vaccines for Covid manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna have also been reported in the US.

    But Kohli said the efficacy level of these vaccines is also very high.

    Dr D M Mahajan, Senior Consultant, Dermatology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi, said a couple of post-vaccination skin complication cases have been reported at the hospital.

    “One person had white rashes on his body and he came to us. He was put on antihistamines (anti-allergic drugs) and it subsided,” he said.

    Mahajan said vaccination is a way of introducing a “calculated infection” to induce a “protective immunological response against Covid”.

    “So our body reacts to the vaccine as the fighting mechanism is prepared to kick in,” he said.

    The number of cumulative COVID-19 cases in Delhi stands at over 14.32 lakh and more than 14 lakh patients have recovered from the infection, according to official data.

  • Rural areas administered more doses than urban in record vaccination on June 21: Government

    Also, 92.20 per cent of the vaccinations happened in government COVID-19 Vaccination Centres while 7.80 per cent were at private CVCs.

  • UGC asks educational institutions to put up banners thanking PM for free vaccination: Sources

    In a WhatsApp message sent to various university officials Sunday, UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain also asked the institutions to share the banners on their social media pages.

  • Will give priority to superspreaders, says Mamata government as lack of vaccines delay inoculation drive in Bengal

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The West Bengal government could not start its universal vaccination programme – aimed at inoculating people in the 18-45 age group free of cost – due to paucity of jabs, a senior health department official said.

    The state will continue to give priority to the groups it has identified as “superspreaders” and increase the number of daily vaccination depending on supply, he said.

    “We were unable to launch the universal vaccination programme from today because of shortage of vaccines. The ongoing vaccination process will continue. Our first target is to cover the priority groups,” the official said.

    The West Bengal government had identified bus conductors, drivers, hawkers and vegetable vendors as “superspreaders”, and said focus would be to inoculate them, their family members and close relatives.

    “We will take stock of the supply and decide upon the future course of action. At present, we can vaccinate close to three lakh people per day, but have the capacity to augment it to five lakh daily shots,” the official added.

    The central government on Monday kickstarted the universal vaccination programme to supply states free vaccines for the 18-45 age category.

    Till Sunday, around 1.9 crore people had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in West Bengal, according to official data.

    Out of this number, 42,74,276 beneficiaries have been fully inoculated with two doses.

    Meanwhile, more than 2.98 crore Covid vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

    So far, 29,35,04,820 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories (UTs) through the Centre’s free of cost channel and the direct state procurement category, it said.

    Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 26,36,26,884 doses, according to data available at 8 am on Monday, the ministry said.

    “A total 2,98,77,936 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered,” the ministry said.

    It said that as part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the central government has been supporting states and UTs by providing them Covid vaccines free of cost.

    In addition, the Centre has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the states and UTs, the ministry said.

    Vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy for containment and management of the pandemic, along with ‘test, track, treat’ and Covid appropriate behaviour, it said.

    Implementation of the liberalized and accelerated phase-3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination started from May 1 and under it, every month, 50 per cent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by the Centre, the ministry said.

    It would continue to make these doses available to state governments free of cost as was being done earlier, it said.

  • Meet Gram Pradhan from remote Uttarakhand hills who wants everyone vaccinated

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Yogendra Singh Negi (35), gram pradhan of Dauda village panchayat in Rudraprayag district has emerged as a role model as he got over 400 people vaccinated through his efforts in his panchayat. 

    Majority of them have no means to register, to travel to vaccination center and take care of themselves of after effects of vaccination. 

    He has got 196 elderly out of 198 vaccinated while two are yet to be due to health complications. 

    Harish Bisht (68), one of the elderly who vaccinated with the help of pradhan says, “The kid took care of me in every way. I got fever but he took good care of me.”

    He and his team also looks after people providing them essential diet and care after vaccination. 

    He also requested the district administration to open a vaccination center in his panchayat which was accepted.

    District administration also appreciated Negi for his efforts in vaccination drive in his panchayat.

    Manuj Goyal, district magistrate of Rudraprayag district said, “Pradhan Negi ji jas been a beacon of vaccination drive in rural areas of the district. Representatives like him can make the drive successful contributing nationally in this fight against Covid 19 pandemic.”

    Rural areas of the state which have bad connectivity have been suffering from lesser vaccination. 

    The state has total 14 districts out of which 9 are considered hilly districts with tough terrains and little to almost no infrastructure. 

    On June 9, 2021 addressing digital divide in the hill state, Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday ordered the state government to conduct door to door surveillance, inspection across 13 districts of the state, especially in remote areas and hamlets.

    The court also directed the state government to form a ‘District Task Force’ to address the digital divide in the state.

    “Unless it is carried out at war speed, it will be difficult to stop the onslaught of the third wave. This is war and we cannot leave our last man behind”, the division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma. 

    The court directed to form teams in every districts which will have a nurse, a home guard and one ASHA worker each which will go from door to door to check if people have any Covid symptoms and also gather data of vaccinated people in households. 

  • Test-track-treat and vaccinate: Centre asks states to ensure ‘carefully calibrated’ lockdown opening

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday asked the states and union territories to ensure the easing of COVID-related lockdown and opening up of activities in a “calibrated manner”, pointing out that the easing of norms has led to crowding in some markets and other places.

    The Home Ministry urged states to ensure the “extremely important” five-fold strategy of COVID-appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination to break the chain of transmission. In a letter to the states, Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla emphasised the need to continue adopting COVID-appropriate behaviour to contain the spread of the pandemic.

    Asking the state chief secretaries and administrators of UTs to step up the pace of vaccination, to cover the maximum number of people expeditiously, Bhalla said vaccination against Covid-19, in the present scenario, is critical to breaking the chain of transmission.

    The home secretary said during the second wave, a significant surge in cases was witnessed in several states and UTs, and many of them imposed restrictions to contain the spread of the infection. “With a decline in the number of active cases, many states and UTs have started relaxing restrictions. I would like to highlight that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be taken, based on the assessment of the situation at the ground level,” Bhalla said, in the letter to states and UTs.

    “While opening up, it would be extremely important to follow the five-fold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination,” he said. Bhalla said regular monitoring of appropriate behaviour is required to prevent relapse.

    “A system should be in place at the microlevel to ensure that whenever cases rise in a smaller place, it gets checked there itself, through local containment measures as per the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry,” the advisory added.