Vaccination Why ?
1. Keep yourself safe and healthy
The first COVID-19 vaccine in the state of Iowa was administered at UI Health Care at 9:42 a.m. on Dec. 14 to emergency room nurse David Conway, RN.
Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons is to keep yourself healthy. Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine provides you with protection against the virus, keeping you healthy.
2. The initial vaccines are proving (very) effective
The two leading vaccine candidates, Pfizer and Moderna, have been shown to be about 95% effective, which is very good. The initial goal to be considered for FDA emergency use approval was at least 50% effective.
3. Clinical trials have validated the safety of the vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccines, like other drugs and biologics released in the U.S., must go through multiple phases of rigorous testing, analysis, and review. In fact, the clinical trials for the COVID-19 enrolled far more participants than other vaccine trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closely monitors the vaccine development process and testing results for efficacy and safety. As part of the FDA’s formal process to determine if the vaccine is approved for public use, it also seeks a recommendation from a multidisciplinary team of experts consisting of independent medical officers, microbiologists, chemists, biostatisticians, and other health experts. The FDA continues to oversee the vaccine and its manufacturing following approval to ensure its ongoing safety. Read more.
4. Be the leaders we know we are
Health care personnel have been prioritized in the first phase of vaccinations in the United States. By leading the way of being the first vaccinated, we lead the next phase of recovery for our community. Health care workers have the unique opportunity to demonstrate to the public the important of immediate vaccination.
5. Be here for our patients
Most importantly, it allows us to continue to be there for each other and our patients.
6. Return to life as normal (or at least more social)
A vaccine is the best and only way to return to life as “normal,” or closer to what it was before COVID-19. While it will take some time to roll out vaccines to all of UI Heath Care, all Iowans, and globally, every individual vaccinated is a step in the right direction. And we all need to continue to follow our safety precautions for a long time to come.
COVID: Why are so many people against vaccination?
The number of people who are against getting a COVID-19 vaccine seems to be going up, even as ever more people get vaccinated. What do they base their arguments on?
Doubters on the rise
"I feel that a vaccine is a huge intervention in my body. Everyone should make this decision for themselves. And just because you don't get vaccinated, it doesn't mean you're irresponsible or tired of life," says Richard, while Susanne nods in agreement.
This couple is not alone. Although in Germany nearly half of the population (45%) is fully vaccinated and more than half (59%) has received at least a first dose as of July 15, the rate of vaccination is slowing down.
Richard and Susanne wouldn't say they were against vaccines in principle. They got the standard vaccines when they were kids. But they say they don't trust the vaccines for COVID-19.
Their friends and acquaintances don't understand. They say they have experienced rejection and a lack of understanding.
"They think the vaccine makes them immortal. But they could still get infected, despite the vaccine," says Susanne indignantly.
Calculated risk?
But a vaccine can decrease your risk of a severe infection, I say.
"That may well be, but it's no more than a risk-benefit analysis. You can get infected with anything, anytime," says Richard. "But even if it does happen ... I have a lot of colleagues and friends who've had COVID-19 and their symptoms were either weak or it was just like a normal flu."
Susanne jumps in: "You hear these stories about severe cases and deaths in the media. That people have died either directly or indirectly because of COVID-19. But if you then ask how old they were, you find out they were already 87 or something. That just doesn't convince me to get a vaccine."
Vaccination in India
India began administration of COVID-19 vaccines on 16 January 2021. As of 27 July 2021, India has administered over 446 million doses overall, including first and second doses of the currently-approved vaccines.[3][4]
India initially approved the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine (manufactured under license by Serum Institute of India under the trade name Covishield) and Covaxin (a vaccine developed locally by Bharat Biotech). They have since been joined by the Sputnik V (manufactured under license by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories) and Moderna vaccines, and other vaccine candidates undergoing local clinical trials.
Vaccination programme
Vaccine administration by age group
| Age group | Population |
|---|---|
| 18-44 | 164,185,413 |
| 45-60 | 140,465,888 |
| over 60 | 105,835,546 |
Background and timeline
Initial approvals, launch of vaccination programme
In September 2020, India's Health minister Harsh Vardhan stated that the country planned to approve and begin distribution of a vaccine by the first quarter of 2021.[8] The first recipients were to be 30 million health workers directly dealing with COVID patients.[9]
On 1 January 2021, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved emergency use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine (local trade name "Covishield").[10][11][12] On 2 January, the DCGI also granted an interim emergency use authorisation to BBV152 (trade name "Covaxin"), a domestic vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology.[13] This approval was met with some concern, as the vaccine had not then completed phase 3 clinical trials.[14] Due to this status, those receiving Covaxin were required to sign a consent form,[15] while some states chose to relegate Covaxin to a "buffer stock" and primarily distribute Covishield.[16]
India began its vaccination programme on 16 January 2021, operating 3,006 vaccination centres on the onset.[17] Each vaccination centre will offer either Covishield or Covaxin, but not both.[18] 165,714 people were vaccinated on the first day of availability. Difficulties in uploading beneficiary lists at some sites caused delays.[19] In the first three days, 631,417 people were vaccinated. Of these, 0.18% reported side-effects and nine people (0.002%) were admitted to hospitals for observation and treatment.[20][21] Within those first days, there were concerns about low turnout, due to a combination of vaccine safety concerns, technical problems with the software used, and misinformation.[22]
The first phase of the rollout involved health workers and frontline workers including police, paramilitary forces, sanitation workers, and disaster management volunteers.[17] By 1 March, only 14 million healthcare and frontline workers had been vaccinated, falling short of the original goal of 30 million.[23]
Second phase
The next phase of the vaccine rollout covered all residents over the age of 60, residents between the ages of 45 and 60 with one or more qualifying comorbidities, and any health care or frontline worker that did not receive a dose during phase 1. Online registration began on 1 March via the Aarogya Setu app and Co-WIN ("Winning over COVID-19") website.[24][25][26] Amid the beginnings of a major second wave of infections in the country,[27][28][29] vaccine exports were suspended in March 2021, and the government ordered 110 million Covishield doses from SII.[30] The company aims to produce 100 million doses per month, but by May 2021 its production capacity was only 60–70 million doses.[31][32] Following the conclusion of its trial, the DCGI issued a standard emergency use authorisation to Covaxin on 11 March 2021.[33]
From 1 April, eligibility was extended to all residents over the age of 45.[34] On 8 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a four-day Teeka Utsav ("Vaccine Festival") from 11 to 14 April, with a goal to increase the pace of the program by vaccinating as many eligible residents as possible. By the end of the Utsav, India had reached a total of over 111 million vaccine doses to-date.[35][36][37]
Third phase, Sputnik V approval
On 12 April, the DCGI approved Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use in India. A phase 3 trial had been conducted in the country in September 2020, which showed 91.6% efficacy.[38] The local distributor Dr. Reddy's Laboratories stated that it planned to have the vaccine available in India by late-May 2021.[39]
On 19 April, it was announced that the next phase of the vaccination programme would begin on 1 May, extending eligibility to all residents over the age of 18. Under phase 3, individual stakeholders were also given more flexibility in how they conduct the vaccination programme. As part of this plan, only half of the vaccines procured by the Central Drugs Laboratory from manufacturers would be distributed by the central government. This supply would go to government-run clinics and be offered free-of-charge to residents 45 and over and priority workers, and siphoned off to states based on factors such as the number of active cases and how quickly they are administering vaccines. The remainder would be offered to individual states and purchased on the open market (including private hospitals), which would be able to serve residents over the age of 18.[40][41][42]
Registration for the next phase began on 28 April; a single-day record of nearly 13.3 million people registered.[43] Due to supply issues, several states, including Delhi, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh announced that they would delay their wider rollouts of vaccines to later in the month.[44]
The initial shipment of 150,000 Sputnik V doses arrived on 1 May, and began to be administered on 14 May.[45][46][47] An estimated 156 million doses is expected between August and December; initially, doses will be sourced from Russia, but domestic production is expected to begin by August 2021.[48][49][50]
On 13 May, the DCGI approved phase 2 and phase 3 trials of Covaxin on children 2–18.[51] On 14 May, health officials projected that based on the anticipated approval of additional vaccine options, it could receive at least 2.17 billion more vaccine doses from August to December 2021.[52][53] On 25 May, India exceeded 200 million vaccine doses administered in total.[54] On 3 June, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pre-ordered 300 million doses of a potential fourth vaccine, Corbevax, which is undergoing phase 3 clinical trials.[55]
On 23 May the union government allowed walk-in registrations for vaccination throughout the country; a health worker at the vaccination centre would register the recipient in the Co-win vaccination database. The government claimed in an affidavit to the Supreme Court that as of June 23 about 78 per cent of vaccines had been administered via walk-in registration.[56]
Return to centralised procurement
On 31 May, an affidavit was issued in the Supreme Court of India requesting a review of the central government's vaccine distribution strategy, suggesting that the decision to only offer doses at no charge to priority workers and residents over the age of 45 was "prima facie arbitrary and irrational".[57]
On 7 June, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would migrate back to centralised procurement of vaccines by 21 June. In an address, Modi stated that multiple chief ministers had requested that the central government reconsider its new distribution strategy, and reinstate the system it had used prior to May. As before, the centre will procure up to 75% of the country's vaccine supplies from manufacturers in bulk, and distribute them to states at no additional charge. Vaccines would now be offered at no charge for those in the 18–44 age group. Private hospitals will still be responsible for the remaining 25% of procurement, but fees for appointments are now capped at ₹150 (US$2.10).[58][59]
On 21 June, the day these changes took effect, approximately 8,270,000 doses were administered—India's largest single-day total to date. The states of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka had the highest local totals.[60][61][62] Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha P. Chidambaram accused Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party of having intentionally "hoarded" vaccine doses in the days leading up to 21 June in order to encourage larger numbers; seven states controlled by the BJP were among the top ten states to have administered vaccine doses that day, several of these BJP-led states had below-average vaccination numbers in the days leading up to 21 June (such as Madhya Pradesh, which went from 692 doses on 20 June to 1,690,000 the next day), and numbers had dropped significantly in those states the next day.[63][64][65][66]
On 23 June, India surpassed over 300 million vaccine doses administered in total.[67] On 28 June, India overtook the United States in total vaccine doses administered.[68] On 29 June, the DCGI approved the Moderna vaccine (which is being imported by Cipla) for emergency use. Vinod Kumar Paul stated that the Pfizer vaccine was also likely to be approved soon.[69][70]
Vaccine development and distribution
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As of early May 2020, there were over 30 vaccine candidates in development in India, many of which were already in pre-clinical trials.[71]
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is the world's largest vaccine maker, and this existing capacity enabled India to be a major participant in the COVAX programme to distribute vaccines to developing countries.[72] In February 2020, SII had begun animal trials of vaccine candidates.[73] SII announced in April 2020 that it would apply for clinical trials from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) in April 2020. SII president Adar Poonawalla said that a vaccine would be delivered within a year, but projected an efficacy between 70 and 80%.[74]
In August 2020, SII received approvals for phase 2 and phase 3 trials of its version of a vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford's Vaccitech.[75] SII joined GAVI in a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to produce 100 million doses of vaccine for developing countries.[76] The SII planned to manufacture 1.5 and 2.5 billion doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine per-year under the trade name "Covishield".[77] By its approval in January 2021, the company had stockpiled 50 million doses, but well short of its own target of 400 million.[78][79] The government ordered 21 million doses to be delivered by February, but the company said no indication of any further orders were given.[30] The company began to export the remaining stocks instead.[77]
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with U.S.-based FluGen, expected to begin the first clinical trials of a nasal vaccine by late-2020.[80] The Indian Council of Medical Research partnered with Bharat Biotech in May 2020 to develop a COVID vaccine entirely within India.[81] In June 2020, it received DCGI approval to begin phase 1 and phase 2 trials on its vaccine, BBV152 (trade name "Covaxin").[82] In September 2020, it was reported that in pre-clinical trials on animals, Covaxin was able to build immunity.[83] On 3 March 2021, Bharat Biotech reported that Covaxin showed an efficacy of 81% in its phase 3 trial.[84] On 20 April 2021, Bharat Biotech announced that it had expanded its production capabilities for Covaxin to 700 million doses per-year.[85]
Cadila Healthcare began vaccine development in March 2020, including a viral vector vaccine and a DNA plasmid vaccine.[86][87] In mid-July 2020, Cadila held early human trials of its vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D,[88] and received approval for phase 3 trials in January 2021.[89][90] It began large-scale production in April 2021, with Cadila expecting to receive emergency authorisation between May and June 2021.[91]
In September 2020, Dr. Reddy's partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct phase 3 trials of the Sputnik V vaccine in India, and to distribute the vaccine there once approved.[92][93] In April 2021, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev told NDTV that they had "five great manufacturers in India" who would be producing the vaccine, and felt that the country could become Sputnik V's "production hub" for use and export.[94] Dr. Reddy's is also working with the RDIF on approval of "Sputnik Light"—a regiment of Sputnik V consisting only of the first dose.[50]
In April 2021, phase 3 clinical trials were approved for another vaccine, Corbevax, a protein subunit that is being developed by BioE, the Baylor College of Medicine, and Dynavax Technologies.[55][95]
On 2 June 2021, the DCGI removed the requirement that India-specific clinical trials (bridging trials) be held for vaccine candidates developed outside of India, provided that they are already approved by a recognised international public health agency such as the World Health Organization (WHO), European Medicines Agency (EMA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), or Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency. These changes were intended to help expedite the availability of vaccines already in use in other countries.[69][96]
In mid-July, it was reported that approval of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as well as a shipment of vaccines donated by the United States (which includes the AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines), had faced delays due to requests from their manufacturers for indemnity clauses from Indian authorities, which would relieve them from legal liability for adverse reactions [97][98]
Global distribution
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In January 2021, India began a humanitarian initiative known as Vaccine Maitri (vaccine friendship), which aims to leverage the country's pharmaceutical industry to export Indian-manufactured vaccines to other countries.[99][100] The Ministry of External Affairs stated that since 20 January, India had donated over 5.5 million vaccines to neighbouring countries such as Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and that the country was also planning to send doses to Africa, Nicaragua, Oman, the Caribbean Community, and the COVAX programme, and to distribute vaccines to other countries via commercial exports.[101][102]
A spokesperson of the MEA stated that "In line with the prime minister's announcement that India sees international cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as its duty, we have played the role of the first responder in our neighbourhood as well as undertaken supplies to countries beyond."[101][102] In response to these donations, Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres stated that he "strongly hope[s] that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination is campaign is made possible", and went on to say that "I think that the production capacity of India is the best asset that the world has today. I hope the world understands that it must be fully used."[103]
As of 10 March 2021, India had distributed over 58 million vaccine doses to 65 nations through the scheme,[100] but due to India's domestic need for vaccines, these exports were suspended later in March and the suspension was expected to continue throughout 2021.[104]
Vaccine on order
| Vaccine | Status | Production Capacity | Planned Capacity | Doses ordered | Approval | Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covishield |  In use | 840 million [105] | - | 750 million [106][107] | 01 January 2021[108] | 16 January 2021[109] |
| Covaxin | In use | 700 million [110] | - | 550 million [106] | 03 January 2021[111] | 16 January 2021[109] |
| Sputnik V | In use | 140 million | - | 156 million [106] | 12 April 2021[38] | 14 May 2021[112] |
| Moderna | Approved | Import only[113] | - | - | 29 June 2021[114] |  Not yet |
| ZyCoV-D | Awaiting | - | 240 million [115] | 50 million | Awaiting | Not yet |
| Corbevax | Phase III trials | - | 960 million [116] | 300 million [117] | Awaiting | Not yet |
| Covovax | Phase III trials | - | - | 200 million [106] | Awaiting | Not yet |
Vaccines in trial stage
| Vaccine | Type (technology) | Phase I | Phase II | Phase III | No. of Participants in Clinical Trial | Planned Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZyCoV-D | DNA (plasmid expressing SARS‑CoV‑2 S protein) | Completed | Completed | Completed | 30,000[118] | 240 million[119] |
| Corbevax | Subunit (using an antigen) | Completed | Completed | In progress | 1,628 [121] | 960 million [116] |
| HGC019 | mRNA | In progress | Pending | Pending | 120 [122] | 60 million [116] |
| BBV154 | Adenovirus vector (intranasal) | In progress | Pending | Pending | 175 [123] | 100 million[116] |
Vaccination rollout statistics by State or UT
 | This section needs to be updated. (July 2021) |
| State/union territory | Population (2011 census) | 1st dose | 2nd dose | Cumulative doses administered | Percentage of people given at least one dose | Percentage of people fully vaccinated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121.06 crores | 31,35,29,502 | 7,78,10,989 | 39,13,40,491 | 26% | 6% | |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 3,80,581 | 1,77,014 | 69,670 | 2,46,684 | 47% | 18% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 4,95,77,103 | 1,41,91,226 | 38,49,058 | 1,80,40,284 | 29% | 8% |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 13,83,727 | 6,11,880 | 1,24,519 | 7,36,399 | 44% | 9% |
| Assam | 3,12,05,576 | 70,42,767 | 14,32,392 | 84,75,159 | 23% | 5% |
| Bihar | 10,40,99,452 | 1,64,78,046 | 28,26,509 | 1,93,04,555 | 16% | 3% |
| Chandigarh | 10,55,450 | 5,20,502 | 1,26,141 | 6,46,643 | 49% | 12% |
| Chhattisgarh | 2,55,45,198 | 87,15,179 | 19,12,960 | 1,06,28,139 | 34% | 7% |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 5,86,956 | 4,93,212 | 63,690 | 5,56,902 | 84% | 11% |
| Delhi | 1,67,87,941 | 70,02,464 | 21,51,254 | 91,53,718 | 42% | 13% |
| Goa | 14,58,545 | 9,54,703 | 1,90,273 | 11,44,976 | 65% | 13% |
| Gujarat | 6,04,39,692 | 2,19,84,689 | 65,19,179 | 2,85,03,868 | 36% | 11% |
| Haryana | 2,53,51,462 | 83,23,981 | 18,63,321 | 1,01,87,302 | 33% | 7% |
| Himachal Pradesh | 68,64,602 | 34,91,953 | 9,55,322 | 44,47,275 | 51% | 14% |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 1,22,67,032 | 44,12,222 | 8,75,881 | 52,88,103 | 36% | 7% |
| Jharkhand | 3,29,88,134 | 65,85,589 | 13,84,907 | 79,70,496 | 20% | 4% |
| Karnataka | 6,10,95,297 | 2,15,31,799 | 49,53,534 | 2,64,85,333 | 35% | 8% |
| Kerala | 3,34,06,061 | 1,17,87,897 | 44,18,383 | 1,62,06,280 | 35% | 13% |
| Ladakh | 2,74,000 | 1,84,350 | 61,717 | 2,46,067 | 67% | 22% |
| Lakshadweep | 64,473 | 48,684 | 11,884 | 60,568 | 76% | 18% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 7,26,26,809 | 2,06,54,535 | 39,13,569 | 2,45,68,104 | 28% | 5% |
| Maharashtra | 11,23,74,333 | 2,95,57,739 | 83,66,620 | 3,79,24,359 | 26% | 7% |
| Manipur | 25,70,390 | 8,52,513 | 94,504 | 9,47,017 | 33% | 4% |
| Meghalaya | 29,66,889 | 7,46,590 | 1,06,983 | 8,53,573 | 25% | 4% |
| Mizoram | 10,97,206 | 6,00,309 | 1,08,960 | 7,09,269 | 55% | 10% |
| Nagaland | 19,78,502 | 5,28,588 | 1,04,707 | 6,33,295 | 27% | 5% |
| Odisha | 4,19,74,219 | 1,09,95,438 | 28,21,725 | 1,38,17,163 | 26% | 7% |
| Puducherry | 12,47,953 | 5,06,962 | 1,21,654 | 6,28,616 | 38% | 8% |
| Punjab | 2,77,43,338 | 71,06,538 | 14,57,346 | 85,63,884 | 26% | 5% |
| Rajasthan | 6,85,48,437 | 2,23,38,742 | 51,05,106 | 2,74,43,848 | 33% | 7% |
| Sikkim | 6,10,577 | 4,51,037 | 1,25,587 | 5,76,624 | 74% | 21% |
| Tamil Nadu | 7,21,47,030 | 1,53,23,595 | 32,26,031 | 1,85,49,626 | 21% | 4% |
| Telangana | 3,50,03,674 | 1,07,07,196 | 21,33,726 | 1,28,40,922 | 31% | 6% |
| Tripura | 36,73,917 | 21,09,410 | 6,73,197 | 27,82,607 | 57% | 18% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 19,98,12,341 | 3,26,66,360 | 61,71,492 | 3,88,37,852 | 16% | 3% |
| Uttarakhand | 1,00,86,292 | 39,68,239 | 10,56,218 | 50,24,457 | 39% | 10% |
| West Bengal | 9,12,76,115 | 1,81,36,408 | 68,98,498 | 2,50,34,906 | 20% | 8% |
| Miscellaneous | — | 17,41,146 | 15,34,472 | 32,75,618 | — | — |
| As of July 15, 2021 7:00 AM IST[124] | ||||||
Vaccine acceptance in India
One study published on the vaccine acceptance is showing that 79.5% of people from New Delhi, a state in Northern India, want to take a COVID-19 vaccine.[125] In another study which was published from West Bengal, a state in Eastern India, has shown that 77.27% of people want to take the COVID-19 vaccine.[126] According to the finding from these two studies, it can be expected that over 75% of people want to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccination by state
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh had received 370,000 doses of Covishield and 20,000 of Covaxin. It was decided that only Covishield would be administered. The state aims to vaccinate 32,000 people a day. However, on the first two days, only 61 and 47.8 per cent of those days' targets could be vaccinated. There were two cases of adverse events, but neither required hospitalization.[127] On 20 June 2021, the state government made a vaccination drive, in which 13,68,049 people were vaccinated.[128] It is a single-day vaccination record by any Indian state till now.[129] 7 out 13 districts in the state have administered more than 1 lakh doses.[130]
Bihar
Bihar received 569,000 doses of the vaccine. 4,64,160 health workers had registered for the vaccine, and the state expects to vaccinate 30,000 people a day across 300 sites. Some doctors had doubts about the efficacy of Covaxin and refused to take it.[131]
Chattisgarh
One person was admitted to hospital following complications, but was later discharged.[20]
Delhi
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4,319 health workers were administered the vaccine on the first day, and there were 51 minor and one major cases of adverse effects.[132] By day three, four people had been admitted to hospitals following complications, of which three had been later discharged.[20]
Karnataka
Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar announced on 9 January that the state would be given 13.9 lakh (1.39 million) doses of Covishield in two batches. 6.3 lakh (630,000) health workers had registered for the vaccine.[133] Two people were admitted to hospital following complications; one person was later discharged.[20][134]
Kerala
Kerala initially received 433,500 doses of Covishield, and an additional batch of 360,500 Covishield doses were announced three days later. In total, 459,853 people from the state registered for the vaccine, including 1,75,673 healthcare workers from state-run hospitals, 199,937 from private hospitals, 2,932 from federal hospitals, 74,711 police staff and 6,600 municipal workers. A total of 24,558 healthcare workers were vaccinated on the first three days. No adverse reactions were reported.[135] After vaccinating 3.75 lakh health workers by 11 February, the focus of the campaign shifted to other front-line staff such as police and municipal workers. The second dose was provided from 15 February onwards.[136]
In order to create public confidence in the vaccine, several prominent officials and politicians took the vaccine. This includes Health Minister KK Shailaja,[137] Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,[138] state police chief Lokanath Behera,[139] former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan[140] and Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Navajoth Khosa.[139] By 21 February, 3,36,327 health workers and 57,658 other frontline staff had been vaccinated, and Kerala requested more vaccines from the national pool.[141]
Vaccination of senior citizens and people over 45 with pre-existing conditions began in March. In addition, vaccines ere also provided to government employees involved in running the upcoming state elections. Since the online registration system was not accessible to everyone, and particularly to senior citizens, vaccination was also provided without prior registration. Asha workers would help senior citizens in finding and booking slots at the nearest vaccination centre. District and Taluk hospitals and Primary Health Centres would provide vaccinations, in addition to selected private hospitals and special vaccination camps.[142]
Kerala was affected by the nationwide shortage of vaccines in mid-April, with stocks falling to 7.22 lakh doses. For example, in Palakkad district, nearly half the camps were not in operational condition due to vaccine shortage. Vaccination centres were directed to use the remaining stocks to vaccinate front-line workers.[143] Vaccination of people in the 18-44 age group with certain medical conditions began in early May, and that of all people in the 40-44 age group began on June 4. These would be provided in public hospitals.[144]
Ladakh
On 11 July, it was reported that Ladakh had become the first union territory of India to have given a first dose to all of its eligible residents and "guest population" (hotel staff, migrant workers, and Nepalese citizens living in the territory).[145]
Madhya Pradesh
As of June 2, 2021. Madhya Pradesh vaccination has administered more than 1 crore vaccine doses. The pace of immunization has picked up and there are more than 2.0 lakh doses being administered daily.[146]
Due to a shortage of vaccines, the Madhya Pradesh health department has raised a tender estimated at Rs 50.0 Crores which will be open for bidding from 8 June to 22 June 2021.[147] Other States such as Karnataka have launched similar efforts which have garnered little success. In Cities, government is making efforts to vaccinate the population by using drive-in vaccination centers.[148] Some government departments are pushing their own employees by bringing in policies such as No Vaccine, No Pay.[149]
In Rural Madhya Pradesh, Immunisation efforts have been marred by rumors and resistance by locals.[150][151]
Maharashtra
Maharashtra received 963,000 doses of Covishield and 20,000 doses of Covaxin. 785,000 health workers had registered to get the vaccination. 14,883 health workers in Maharashtra given COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday[152] In Mumbai, only 1,926 people could be vaccinated on the first day, due to a combination of low turnout and technical problems with the software. The vaccination drive was temporarily suspended due to the technical glitches in the software alerting people to their vaccination appointments.[22]
Odisha
Odisha had received doses of both Covishield and Covaxin. The first vaccine dose was given to a sanitation worker on 16 January.[153] Covishield is the predominant vaccine used in Odisha. All the districts use Covishield to vaccinate their people. The only exception being Khurda where both covaxin and covishield are used to vaccinate people.[154]
Punjab
Phase 1a Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu announced around 1.60 lakh health workers in Punjab will receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase, after that frontline worker and then people over the age of 50 or with co-morbid conditions. Vaccination inoculation of healthcare workers has been started in Punjab on 16-01-2021 at 59 designated sites across all the state.[155]
Phase 1b Vaccination of the frontline worker including police, local bodies, disaster management, rural development and panchayats and revenue departments will be starting from 1 February 2021.[156]
Phase 2 On 1 March 2021, Punjab will start its phase II of vaccination for senior citizens and below the 60s people with co-morbid conditions.[157]
Phase 3 On 1 April 2021, all people above the age of 45 are now eligible in this phase.
| Order | Priority group | Number eligible (estimated) | Number of inoculated (1st dose) | Number of inoculated (2nd dose) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Healthcare professionals, both government and private | 160,000 [158] | 152,185 | 67,169 |
| 2 | Frontline worker including police, paramilitary forces, sanitation workers & disaster management volunteers | 300,000 [159] | 264,796 | 50,946 |
| 3 | People above 60 years and those aged below 50 with co-morbid conditions | 300,000 | 726,981 | 8,540 |
| 4 | all those above 45 years of age | |||
| Total (1st Dose) | 1,201,737 | |||
| Total (2nd Dose) | 126,499 | |||
| As of 2021-April-5 | ||||
| Vaccine | Progress | Doses ordered for India | Doses allocated for Punjab | Approval | Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford-AstraZeneca | Phase III clinical trials | 500 million[160] | 1,780,000 | 01 January 2021[161] | 16 January 2021[162] |
| Covaxin | Phase III clinical trials | 10 million | 137,000 [163] | 01 January 2021(restricted)[164] | Yes |
| |||||
Rajasthan
On 3 January 2021, the state conducted its first round of dry run for COVID vaccination in 7 districts.[165] On 13 January, Rajasthan received the first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines at Jaipur and Udaipur, which included Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Serum Institute of India's Covishield.[166] The vaccines were then transported to state and district level storage centres.
On 16 January, as a part of nationwide vaccination programme, the first dose of the vaccines were given to selected frontline health workers at 167 sites across the state.[167] In a review meeting held in January 2021 by the state government, the state head of World Health Organization said that Rajasthan is the best state in terms of preparation for COVID vaccination.[168] The second dose of the vaccine started from 15 February.[169]
By April 13, the state had administered 1 crore doses of vaccine.[170] On 14 April, a theft of 320 doses of Covaxin was reported from a government hospital in Jaipur.[171]
Since the central government did not agree to absorb vaccine costs, the state government announced free vaccines for the age group 18-45 from 1 May.[172][173] But the rollout was limited to 11 districts only due to shortage of vaccines.[174] Since May 10, every district in Rajasthan started opening slots for 18-45 age group.[175]
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu received 536,000 doses of Covishield and 20,000 doses of Covaxin.[176]
Uttarakhand
One person was admitted to hospital following complications regarding vaccine, but was later discharged.[20]
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh was the first state to vaccinate over 20 lakh people.[177] Uttar Pradesh received 11,796,780 doses, it consumed 10,261,718 of them, and has 2,211,000 in the pipeline.[178]
West Bengal
The third phase of vaccination commenced from 5 May 2021.[179] The state government had procured one lakh Covaxin doses and 3.5 lakh Covishield doses on its own for the phase 3 immunization.[180]
Adverse events
Like many other vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccines also have a risk of causing side-effects. According to India's Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the most common side-effects include pain or swelling at the injection site, fever, irritability and headaches.[181] The UK Government also lists fatigue, nausea and joint pain as common side-effects of the Oxford vaccine (known as Covishield in India).[182] Medical experts maintain that vaccines used are safe and their benefits outweigh the risks. It is also important to note that adverse cases do not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccines.[183]
A total of 617 serious adverse events were reported until March 29. Of these, 180 cases resulted in death. The Immunisation Technical Support Unit at the federal health ministry examined 192,000 case reports, including 12,400 deaths. In more than half of the examined cases of death, the cause of death was found to be acute coronary syndrome. However, the documentation had been completed for only 3,500 cases.[184]
By 7 June, 26,000 adverse events had been reported following immunisation. Of this, 24,901 were minor, 412 were significant and 887 were serious. 488 deaths were also reported, including 301 men and 178 women (details of 9 deaths were not available). Both vaccines had an adverse reaction rate of about 0.01% and a fatality rate around 0.0001% - 24,703 events and 457 deaths from 210 million Covishield doses, and 1,497 events and 20 deaths following 25 million Covaxin doses. Maharashtra reported the most adverse events (4,521), followed by Kerala (4,074), Karnataka (2,650) and West Bengal (1,456).[183][185]
On 15 June, the government published a review of case reports that had occurred between 5 February and 31 March 2021, focusing on 31 cases and one death from anaphylaxis that were believed to have been attributed to the vaccine, out of nearly 60 million doses administered in the time period. Only three of these cases, and the single death of a 68-year-old patient, were determined to be "vaccine-product related", with the remainder having been classified as coincidental, indeterminate, or unclassifiable. The report stated that "mere reporting of deaths and hospitalisations as serious adverse events does not automatically imply that the events were caused due to vaccines. Only properly conducted investigations and causality assessments can help in understanding if any causal relationship exists between the event and the vaccine.
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