If we value not only the lives saved, but also economic benefits from vaccination, policies that focus on working ages or provide access to all do better.
Last August, I estimated that Covid-19 will end its epidemic phase in India by January 2021. It appears that this prediction was not too far off the mark.
There are warnings of a second Covid wave and scientists have said it could take years to control the virus, but govts are unwilling to impose a lockdown again.
The resurgences in the Asian hubs come after weeks of people returning to work and restaurants re-opening, raising questions for the need of social distancing again.
One model of Covid-19’s future transmission dynamics suggests the size of outbreaks will vary drastically depending on seasonality and duration of people’s immunity.
Over generations, Bihar’s bane has been its utter lack of urbanisation. But now, even Bihar is urbanising. Or let’s say, rurbanising. Two decades under Nitish Kumar have created a new elite in its cities.
Indian govt officials last month skipped Turkish National Day celebrations in Delhi, in a message to Ankara following its support for Islamabad, particularly during Operation Sindoor.
Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.
Excellent piece. However,. the young writer should understand that vaccine is under control of Head of the state who also has access button Nuclear bomb. The Secretary has to toe the line of people in power in same way like fellow ruling party politician from Assam. Speaking with TV news channel Hemanth Biswas Sarma went on to claim it’s Bharatiya sankkruti to safeguards and respct elders first and it was first priority. Obviously hum tomay vaccine dengay tum humay vote dho. Youngsters of course are happy if they’re allowed to move freely and attend rallies without restriction and masks. For them PM is giving them Speechnation instead of vaccination to keep them happy
The issue is basically that of (A) of supply sources and their location within the country. (B) transporting the vaccine to the vaccination centers under the required carriage conditions of temperature (C) storage facilities at the vaccination centers. (D) availability of the qualified staff to administer the dose.– Fortunately the record keeping has been on line but often the connectivity is problem.
It is like, if we have a problem in Ladakh we cannot move the half the army there overnight.
The delays, and screw ups are all over the world except in China. Since the vaccines have come everyone knows the that vaccination is one of the best answers.
Adequate supply and Logistics for last mile delivery is what is require. We need to trust the administration and constructively point out the deficiencies to improve on both.
Very nice article. The crucial point is when did the second wave begin? Looking at the Worldometer graph for daily infections the lowest point was 11th Feb 2021’ when one day infections hit the bottom of ten thousand odd figure. Thereafter, the numbers started rising. The cumulative death figure as on 11the Feb was 155484. Now as on 14th April it has reached 172115. So the second wave has so far claimed 16631 lives and the wave is still going strong. Today’s one-day infection has reached around 1.85 lakh, whereas the peak for first wave was at around 1 lakh. So, we can surmise from the above that mortality rate of the second wave is low but infection rate is quite high. The breakneck speed of the second wave has caused disruptions in families, communities, caused shortages of beds, medicines, ventilators. The only long term solution, as it appears now, is to complete the vaccination drive at the earliest. For that we need capacities to manufacture vaccines produced domestically , contracts to bind producers overseas to supply vaccines as per time schedule. It requires no brain to realise that considering vast population, the challenges are formidable. We should have anticipated the complex nature of challenges and tied up supplies from within or outside the country. This is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. Thrift is not a virtue but curse in such a scenario. Cost considerations are of secondary nature when lives are at stake. The Central Government’s miserly and stingy approach is highly condemnable. SII Pune requires Rs.2000 crore to expand their capacity. Why the government didn’t invest and secure rights to the additional production?It required vision and foresight, which is sadly lacking. So wake up Government of India. At least now speed up vaccination. We are a poor laggard in the race with below 10% vaccination rate; while the minimum required for herd immunity is 120% ( two doses per person) . Israel is the only country to have achieved that distinction by paying more than market price. But, as it appears from the Worldometer data, they appear to conquered the Covid, at least for now.
Excellent piece. However,. the young writer should understand that vaccine is under control of Head of the state who also has access button Nuclear bomb. The Secretary has to toe the line of people in power in same way like fellow ruling party politician from Assam. Speaking with TV news channel Hemanth Biswas Sarma went on to claim it’s Bharatiya sankkruti to safeguards and respct elders first and it was first priority. Obviously hum tomay vaccine dengay tum humay vote dho. Youngsters of course are happy if they’re allowed to move freely and attend rallies without restriction and masks. For them PM is giving them Speechnation instead of vaccination to keep them happy
The issue is basically that of (A) of supply sources and their location within the country. (B) transporting the vaccine to the vaccination centers under the required carriage conditions of temperature (C) storage facilities at the vaccination centers. (D) availability of the qualified staff to administer the dose.– Fortunately the record keeping has been on line but often the connectivity is problem.
It is like, if we have a problem in Ladakh we cannot move the half the army there overnight.
The delays, and screw ups are all over the world except in China. Since the vaccines have come everyone knows the that vaccination is one of the best answers.
Adequate supply and Logistics for last mile delivery is what is require. We need to trust the administration and constructively point out the deficiencies to improve on both.
Very nice article. The crucial point is when did the second wave begin? Looking at the Worldometer graph for daily infections the lowest point was 11th Feb 2021’ when one day infections hit the bottom of ten thousand odd figure. Thereafter, the numbers started rising. The cumulative death figure as on 11the Feb was 155484. Now as on 14th April it has reached 172115. So the second wave has so far claimed 16631 lives and the wave is still going strong. Today’s one-day infection has reached around 1.85 lakh, whereas the peak for first wave was at around 1 lakh. So, we can surmise from the above that mortality rate of the second wave is low but infection rate is quite high. The breakneck speed of the second wave has caused disruptions in families, communities, caused shortages of beds, medicines, ventilators. The only long term solution, as it appears now, is to complete the vaccination drive at the earliest. For that we need capacities to manufacture vaccines produced domestically , contracts to bind producers overseas to supply vaccines as per time schedule. It requires no brain to realise that considering vast population, the challenges are formidable. We should have anticipated the complex nature of challenges and tied up supplies from within or outside the country. This is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. Thrift is not a virtue but curse in such a scenario. Cost considerations are of secondary nature when lives are at stake. The Central Government’s miserly and stingy approach is highly condemnable. SII Pune requires Rs.2000 crore to expand their capacity. Why the government didn’t invest and secure rights to the additional production?It required vision and foresight, which is sadly lacking. So wake up Government of India. At least now speed up vaccination. We are a poor laggard in the race with below 10% vaccination rate; while the minimum required for herd immunity is 120% ( two doses per person) . Israel is the only country to have achieved that distinction by paying more than market price. But, as it appears from the Worldometer data, they appear to conquered the Covid, at least for now.