GENEVA — India has begun what is the world’s biggest COVID vaccination campaign so far, deploying hundreds of thousands of health workers, with the training and support of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

On Jan. 16, the first day of the campaign, 207,229 vaccine shots were given across the country, one of the worst-hit by COVID-19, with over 10 million COVID-19 infections and 150,000 deaths.

“[We] provided technical assistance to the government of India for the development of operational guidelines and other training materials for state and district program managers and vaccinators, and establishing tracking and accountability frameworks,” Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO representative in India said.

“WHO field officers have facilitated the highest-level oversight through regular task force meetings at state and district levels, which are chaired by the Principal Secretaries (Health) at the state level, and District Magistrates at the district level,” he added.

According to media reports, an estimated 10 million health workers are targeted to be vaccinated in the first round, followed by other front-line workers such as police, security forces and municipal staff, with plans to inoculate 300 million people by August.

Supporting preparations

Prior to the start of the campaign, UN agencies help with detailed preparations. For its part, WHO participated in dry-run simulations and provided feedback on management of vaccines, registration of beneficiaries, as well as reporting on vaccination coverage and adverse events following immunization.

It also worked with the government and the UN Development Program (UNDP) on real-time reporting and problem-solving when issues arose at the vaccination sites, according to Dr. Ofrin.

At the provincial level, WHO also supported implementation and monitoring of health policy, such as developing standard operating procedures, preparing technical briefs, and providing best practices from other parts of the India as well as other countries.

Reliable information

Similarly, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported communication and advocacy efforts to ensure the dissemination of factual information to stakeholders and communities. The agency also helped train healthcare staff in infection control and prevention, and psychosocial support to children and caregivers.

Aside from directly supporting vaccine rollout, UN agencies continued their programs to assist the most vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19 and its socio-economic fallouts.

For instance, the UN World Food Program (WFP) supported NGOs in order to identify and register some 19,000 vulnerable households and distributed food packets; while the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted awareness raising programs on sexual and reproductive health, and prevention of gender-based violence, on behalf of some 30 million vulnerable individuals.

The three W’s

Though vaccination programs are under way, continued vigilance against COVID-19 and preventing its spread remain as important as ever.

WHO’s Dr. Ofrin urged continued vigilance over tracking cases, cluster investigation, isolation and clinical care, and quarantining to break the chain of transmission.

Alongside, he also highlighted the “three W’s — wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance.”

“These efforts must continue to stop the spread of COVID-19. We as individuals and communities must work with the government to save lives and the economy by protecting health and livelihoods,” he added. — UN News