By Kaveesha Fernando
NEW DELHI, India (CWBN)_ Indian media reports that officials of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) will most likely meet this week to decide the fate of the Serum Institute of India’s (SII) Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) application for the COVID-19 vaccine they plan to produce. The vaccine, COVISHIELD, was jointly developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and SII obtained license to manufacture the vaccine in India.
Once approved, India will make preparations to vaccinate the world’s second largest population. Phase one of India’s vaccination drive would cover 300 million people – almost the entire US population. India is the second worst hit country by the pandemic, trailing behind only the United States, and the nation awaits the vaccine with bated breath.
While it might seem like a mighty undertaking, India does have the resources to implement the vaccination drive. India’s pharmaceutical companies supply most of South Asia’s medicine at rates which are affordable. These production powerhouses are seen as not just India’s hope, but hope for the entire Indian subcontinent.
Also not to be forgotten is the mechanism used by the world’s largest democracy to govern its citizens. India’s central government is just part of the vast network which administrates India. Indian states have their own chief ministers who make several key decisions with regards to the administration of their state with the help of the state legislature. States are further subdivided into segments (such as municipalities) in order for the executive to function even more seamlessly. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suggested that this system can be utilized to help decide the logistics of vaccine distribution, especially considering the fact that the logistical considerations when organising elections have already been examined and a proper system is already in place.
As India waits for the approval of its first vaccine, it’s clear that once approved, the vaccine will be rolled out fairly effectively using India’s existing infrastructure. All that remains is for a vaccine to be granted approval.
