PM Narendra Modi, reviewing the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country and the preparedness of vaccine delivery, distribution, and administration, directed that vaccine delivery and administration systems should involve the participation of States/UTs/District Level functionaries, civil society organisations, volunteers, citizens, and experts from all necessary domains. He said that the entire process should have a strong IT backbone and the system should be designed in such a manner so as to have a lasting value to our healthcare system.

The Prime Minister stressed that every step in the logistics, delivery, and administration should be put in place rigorously. It must include advanced planning of cold storage chains, distribution network, monitoring mechanism, advance assessment, and preparation of ancillary equipment required, such as vials, syringes etc.

Three vaccines are in advanced stages of development in India, out of which 2 are in Phase II and one is in Phase-III. The Prime Minister said that our efforts should not be limited to our immediate neighbourhood but also reach out to the entire world in providing vaccines, medicines and IT platforms for vaccine delivery system.

“National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC), in consultation with State Governments and all relevant stakeholders, have prepared and presented a detailed blueprint of vaccine storage, distribution, and administration. The Expert Group in consultation with the States is working actively on vaccine prioritisation and distribution of vaccine,” informed a statement from the PMO.

Two pan-India studies on the Genome of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) in India conducted by ICMR and D/o Bio-Technology (DBT) suggest that the virus is genetically stable and there is no major mutation in the virus.