Dear Rotary Leaders
India crossed the 100 crore Covid 19 vaccine doses mark on Thursday, October 21, 2021. It took 19 days from 900 million doses to reach the one billion doses mark. “The vaccine has brought us pride and protection in the lives of our citizens, “ said the Prime Minister of India when he appreciated all those who were associated with the vaccination programme and helping the Government to cross the milestone. UNICEF’s India Representative Ms.Y.M. Haque said, “this milestone means hope.”
This extraordinary feat, as described by WHO, South-East Asia Office, brings to the forefront how many agencies and individuals rose to the occasion. Rotary takes pride in associating itself with the Government in this massive task and I am happy to report that nearly all the districts have organised many camps in their area to assist the Government.
This feat has been accomplished amidst various challenges within 10 months in a country as vast and diverse as India. The advocacy work taken up by Rotary to assist the Government proved that our organisation had a strong and dedicated leadership and the Rotarians themselves at the grassroots level have able to integrate various agencies in organizing camps.
Till October 20, 2021, only 31% of the country’s adult population has been fully vaccinated. About 75% of the population has received at least one dose. In 10 States fewer than 30% of the adults have been vaccinated. The list of these states is available in the media and I strongly urge the RI District Governors in these States to work with the local Government and organise more camps and ramp up the advocacy programme in every town and village in these States. It is now estimated that about 12.2 million doses must be administered on an average daily from now if all the adults have to be vaccinated before December 31, 2021.
We must be thankful to the manufacturers of vaccine in India for being prepared to produce a vaccine from the time Covid 19 started to wreak havoc in early 2020. If you read the statement of the Government released in the press today (October 22, 2021) the logistics will make your head spin. From the vaccine manufacturing plants in Pune and Hyderabad, the vial is sent to a hub in all the States and from here it is transported to the districthubs to be distributed to the vaccination centres in every village! Trains and flights are being used to transport large quantities of vaccine and over one lakh cold chain equipment is being used for this purpose.
I am stating these obvious facts to emphasise the magnitude of the job and how bottlenecks were cleared in a jiffy to reach vaccines where they were needed. Rotary clubs must now finish the job and ensure that every citizen gets the jab. It is now not tomorrow.
Ashok Mahajan
Chairman, Rotary India’s Covid Task Force
Member, T R F Covid Task Force