BENGALURU: The Government has convened a high-level meeting next week to discuss a road map regarding vaccine administration once it is made available, and the Chief Minister will decide if it will be provided free of cost.“Karnataka’s health system is robust with a vast network of primary health centres (PHCs) and anganwadis. We will channelise and administer the vaccine to every citizen through this network. A high-level meeting has been convened next week to discuss the road map regarding vaccine administration in Karnataka,” said Dr K Sudhakar, Health Minister and Covid in-charge Minister.
The vaccine is expected to be available as early as January 2021 and the government is preparing in anticipation of that. “Although India has vast experience in immunization of children, the big challenge is that we don’t have experience in adult vaccination unlike some western countries,” he said.The Centre is working on a plan to roll out the vaccine once it is ready, the minister said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn an apt parallel that the scale and reach of this exercise will be similar to that of the election process.
On whether the vaccine would be free, State Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said trials were still on. “The Government of India is driving the process of vaccination. It’s a very early question. When the vaccine comes, the state government will take a call on certain policy issues including price,” he said.The BJP’s manifesto for the Bihar assembly polls has triggered a debate on providing free vaccine. The Opposition Congress, which has slammed the ruling party for making it a political issue, has demanded that the state government ensure that the vaccine is provided free in Karnataka.
Hinting that the state government may decide on making the vaccine free, DyCM Dr CN Ashwath Narayan on Friday said the government has been giving universal vaccination for free. However, he told reporters that the CM will decide on whether it will be free only after the vaccine is available.
Health workers first priority
Bengaluru: When the vaccine is available, health workers will be covered in the first phase, followed by other priority groups, the Department of Health said in an official release on Friday. Karnataka has already begun to collect data on health workers, which is due to be completed by October 31, in keeping with the Centre’s instructions. Health workers include frontline staff, ANMs ASHA and anganwadi workers, nurses, doctors, paramedical, administrative and research staff and medical students. The government has initiated preparedness measures to use the existing cold chain system of Routine Immunization under the Universal Immunisation Programme for the vaccine.