India's Vaccine Inequity - A Thread
On vaccination, the GoI has had to repeatedly eat crow. This is just another instance, despite the implied state-blaming in today's speech. The GoI must also withdraw the reservation of 25% doses for the private sector that is still in place
On vaccination, the GoI has had to repeatedly eat crow. This is just another instance, despite the implied state-blaming in today's speech. The GoI must also withdraw the reservation of 25% doses for the private sector that is still in place
1/n Till 31 May 2021, India had covered only 12% of its population with at least one dose. Even by its own classification of vulnerability, only 43% of the 60+ age group had been partially vaccinated. Most of them in urban areas
2/n Of the 45-60 age group, only 25% have been given at least one dose. This is only 4% for the 18-44 age cohort. The variation across states persists. UP, BR, AS, and TN have covered less than 10% of their eligible populations. See figure for state-wise coverage till 31 May. 
3/n Less than 60 million doses were administered in May 2021. At this rate -100% of eligible population will be covered only by August 2023. If 60% of monthly doses are first doses, it will be January 2023 till we cover the entire eligible population even partially (with 1 dose)
4/n BR, CG, JH, TL, UP will take more than 3 years to cover their entire population at current rate. To cover all eligible person by Dec 2021, as claimed by GoI, the monthly vaccination rate has to increase by 4 times from its current rate. It has to be 238 million doses/month
5/n GoI has claimed that this increase will happen. But vaccine production capacities, their actual supplies and availability are unknown and remain shrouded in opacity. Projected increases highly speculative and fantastical. See table.
6/n Shortage is likely to continue in the near future. Plans for increasing production and strategy for allocation and distribution have to be transparently communicated. All this remains a mystery even after today's speech.
7/n The 25% reserved doses for the private centres, is likely to further exacerbate existing inequities. An excelled report by @tabassum_b in the IE showed that 9 corporate hospital groups cumulatively bought 50% of the doses procured by private hospitals in May.
8/n "The balance 50 per cent of the vaccine stock was procured by 300-odd hospitals, located mostly in the country’s urban centres, with hardly any of them serving regions beyond the Tier-2 cities" indianexpress.com/article/india/…
9/n This inequality is seen across states. See figures for district-wise coverage of population (with at least 1 dose) in 4 states with the highest covid case loads - MH, KN, KL, and TN. Except in Kerala, distribution is inequitable.
10/n There is no alternative to UNIVERSAL FREE VACCINATION. We need: Efforts to increase production+ transparent and fair criteria of allocation to states+ local strategies to ensure equitable coverage +plan to maximize effectiveness since shortage is likely to last for a while.
@threadreaderapp please unroll
On vaccine inequity also see this excellent piece by @parthpunter ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/wa…
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