Govt Forms Expert Committee To Device COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Including Distribution, Administration

Government has formed an expert committee to oversee all the aspects of its COVID-19 vaccination plan, including the identification of the effective vaccine, buying and financing of the purchase, and also its distribution and administration, reports Hindustan Times.

The development comes at a time when six different vaccine candidates are in Phase-3 or combined Phase 2-3 trials, and as the nations around the world scramble to strike deals with multiple vaccine makers to ensure timely supplies for their populations. The United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) have already struck several such deals.

The expert committee formed by the Government will be headed by NITI Aayog's Dr VK Paul, who will co-chair the committee along with Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan. The committee will prepare the overall strategy on inventory management, distribution and administration.

The committee also includes AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, representatives of the ministries of external affairs, biotechnology, information technology, the Director-General of Health Services, India’s AIDS Research Institute, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and also representatives from states.