India estimates to utilise 40-50 cr COVID-19 vaccine doses for 25 cr people by July 2021: Harsh Vardhan

India has roughly estimated utilisation of 400-500 million doses of coronavirus vaccine covering about 25 crore people by July 2021, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said Sunday. 

He said the government was working to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of vaccines once they are ready. "Our utmost priority is how to ensure vaccine for each and everybody in the country," the health minister said in 'Sunday Samvaad'. 

"There is a high-level expert body going into all aspects of vaccines. Our rough estimate and the target would be to receive and utilise 400 to 500 million doses covering approximately 25 crore people by July 2021," he further said.

The Union health minister added the panel is working on understanding the timelines of availability of various vaccines in the country, obtaining commitments from vaccine manufacturers to make available maximum number of doses for India inventory and supply chain management and also on prioritisation of high-risk groups.

“This is a work in progress which will be completed by the time the vaccines are ready to ensure the swift roll-out of an immunisation programme.”

Assuring a social



media follower that there would be no diversion or black-marketing of the vaccine, Vardhan said, “Vaccines will be distributed as per pre-decided priority and in a programmed manner. To ensure transparency and accountability, details of the entire process will be shared in the coming months.”

He stressed on the need to prioritise healthcare workers and adults or those who have underlying health conditions.

To a question regarding the phase-three clinical trial of Russia’s ‘Sputnik-V’ vaccine in India, Vardhan clarified that the matter was still under consideration, and no decision has been taken yet.

To another question, he replied it is not possible to comment on the superiority of one vaccine over the other, but said, “Even if we have multiple vaccines available, they will all be safe and will elicit the requisite immune response against novel coronavirus.”

He said that all vaccines that have proven to be safe, immunogenic and efficacious in clinical trials outside India need to undergo bridging studies to prove their safety and immunogenicity in the Indian population as well, although these studies can be conducted with much smaller sample size and end quickly.