New Delhi, December 15th
The possibility of an adverse event after vaccination against COVID-19 cannot be ruled out, the government said Tuesday, calling on states and union territories to prepare for it as part of the coronavirus vaccination campaign.
Speaking at a news conference, Ministry of Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said Post-Immunization Adverse Events (AEFI) are a critical issue and states have been asked to identify at least one Post-Immunization Adverse Event (AEFI) in each block.
“Even during decades of universal vaccination programs, children and pregnant women have experienced some adverse effects after being shot.
“So we cannot deny the possibility of an adverse event at the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccination. In countries where vaccination has already started, particularly the UK, adverse events occurred on the first day. It is therefore important that states and union territories also prepare for this, ”said Bhushan.
The center has given states detailed instructions on infection prevention and control during vaccination and treatment of minor, severe and severe AEFIs.
“States were asked to identify at least one AEFI administrative center in each block. PHCs, CHCs, county hospitals, private health facilities or other fixed health facilities with doctors and paramedical staff can be identified as AEFI management centers, ”he said.
In addition, each meeting location must be linked to a specific AEFI management center, and AEFI can also be reported through Co-WIN – a digitized platform used to keep the vaccination and anti-coronavirus vaccine beneficiaries registered on a real-world basis Track level -time base, he added.
COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in India, which is very reassuring, the center said on Tuesday, but warned of any negligence according to which an overwhelming part of the country’s population is still “very, very vulnerable” to the virus and the situation could escalate unexpectedly.
While there is an ever increasing trend in COVID-19 cases and deaths worldwide, particularly in America and Europe, and the situation in the world becomes worrying, the scene in India is satisfactory as cases and deaths decline, Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health) at NITI Aayog, said a press conference here.
“Mortality is falling and is well below 400 per day. The number of cases has dropped to almost 22,000. This is the type of number we all experienced in July. So that’s very comforting. As a nation we seem to be doing very well now.
“We save lives. But remember, this cannot be taken for granted. An overwhelming part of our population is still very, very vulnerable to the virus. And the situation can escalate unexpectedly, “said Paul, warning against any negligence.
He said the comforting thing is that people are saying the R0 has fallen below you, meaning the pandemic is shrinking.
“So we should be happy about it, but carefully happy,” he said.
Finding that Delhi had made progress, he said: “We congratulate the Delhi government as well as all other governments that have recently (in cases) contributed so well to such significant control.”
However, Paul expressed concern about the COVID-19 situation in some states such as Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh and stated that all efforts to control the spread will be made in cooperation with these governments.
Union Health Minister Rajesh Bhushan said more than 15.55 crore tests to detect coronavirus infection have been conducted in the country to date and the cumulative positivity rate has dropped to 6.37, while the average daily positivity rate has been over the past week 3.00 percent.
India’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is also among the lowest in the world. Currently, the CFR is 1.45 percent in India and 2.26 percent globally, Bhushan said.
Speaking of preparing for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Bhushan said guidelines have been issued to states for estimating and amplifying electrical and non-electrical cold chain devices.
Guidelines for the management of the cold chain at the last cold chain points and meeting locations have been issued.
The COVID-19 vaccination drive uses at least 29,000 cold chain points, 240 walk-in refrigerators, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 freezers and 300 solar refrigerators. – PTI