India changes policy but no vaccine yet: WRAL.com

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL, AP Science Writer

NEW DELHI – Starting Monday, every Indian adult can receive a free dose of COVID-19 vaccine purchased from the federal government.

The policy change, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, puts an end to a complex system of vaccine purchases that exacerbated inequalities in photo administration. India is a leading supplier of vaccines worldwide, and its missteps have left millions of people waiting unprotected. Only about 3.5% of Indians have been fully vaccinated and while policy change is likely to address inequality, questions remain. Moreover poor planning means that vaccine shortages will continue.

Here is a look at the changes in India’s vaccine policy and what it means:

EARLY POLICY

A massive wave of the virus in March pushed India’s health systems to the breaking point: Hundreds of thousands of people became newly infected every day, hospitals flooded with patients gasping for air and the night sky shone as busy crematoria burned bodies in the open air .

At the time, India was vaccinating those most at risk for free, but states noted shortages. Vaccinations opened to all adults in May, but the Modi government shifted from taking on the role of vaccine availability in an effort to distribute them where they were most needed.

Instead, the federal government would buy half of all vaccines made and continue to give free shots to 300 million health care workers and front lines, along with those older than 45. States and private hospitals would share the remaining shootings to vaccinate over 600 million adults younger than 45

However, experts warned that vaccine manufacturers could prioritize sales in the private sector to reap more profits. A state health minister said the India Serum Institute, which is making the AstraZeneca vaccine used primarily in India, would not answer state questions.

WHY IT DID NOT WORK

India has one of the largest immunization programs in the world and 300 million shots are given to babies and mothers every year.

But states have never bought vaccines before. And a limited supply meant states were competing with each other while paying higher prices than the federal government could have negotiated, Dr. said. Chandrakant Lahariya, a health policy expert.

That basically makes it inefficient, he said.

When India started vaccinations, it aimed to give priority to health workers, essential workers and the elderly. But expanding the criteria, despite the shortcomings, created inequality. As of May, more people younger than 45 have received their first stroke than those older than 60. More than 74 million people older than 60 remain unvaccinated.

Modi said these decisions were made to accommodate states, but the broken reaction may have cost people lives, said Dr. Vineeta Bal, who studies immune systems at the Indian Institute of Science and Science Education in the city of Pune.

WHAT H HAS CHANGED?

The federal government said it would buy 75% of all vaccines made by Indian vaccine manufacturers and is likely to renegotiate prices. These shots will now be given to states for free distribution. Private hospitals can buy the remaining 25% at prices that are limited.

States will receive vaccines based on their population, disease burden and how many people have been vaccinated, while doses spent will be penalized.

But the biggest challenge will be ensuring a constant supply. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for example, said, Where will the vaccines come from is a big question.

India reserved 300 million shots of the candidate for the Biological E. vaccine for $ 205.62 million in its first deal to reserve shots in advance. But he is still being tested and has not been approved, so he is unlikely to make a change in supplies by the end of this year.

And with only one such deal made so far, experts do not think India’s reliance on its existing suppliers, long overdue as the Serum Institute, will end soon.

Meanwhile, private hospitals do not yet know how they will provide vaccines under the new policy, and some say it is unlikely they will continue to organize neighborhood vaccines as prices were limited.

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The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives support from the Howard Hughes Department of Medical Education’s Scientific Education Department. AP is solely responsible for all content.