India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Drive: Management of Over 2 Billion Doses

This book provides an overview of India’s COVID-19 vaccination journey, highlighting the innovative strategies for managing vaccine distribution and combating hesitancy. It discusses how India handled its vaccine rollout and supply chain, emphasizing the need for adjustments in response to rapidly changing vaccination policies. It also examines the strategic ‘triage’ system that optimized vaccine distribution.

The chapters highlight the significance of Co-WIN, a vital tool that served as a centralized data repository for vaccination. Further chapters explore the legal framework, demonstrating how courts balanced individual autonomy under Article 21 with public health needs. The book also provides insights into how virtual platforms facilitated nationwide training and empowering individuals across regions. Additionally, it explains how a transparent vaccine safety surveillance system builds trust by effectively addressing safety concerns.

The book is relevant for public health professionals, policy planners, supply chain managers, vaccine safety experts, communication experts, public health academia, and people engaged in COVID-19 pandemic period studies, by providing valuable insights into present and future public health challenges.

Dr. Manohar Agnani is a public health professional and retired IAS officer with over 25 years of experience in health systems strengthening, public health policy and planning, and human resources for health. He holds a master’s degree in International Health from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Dr. Agnani is currently a visiting faculty member in public health at Azim Premji University, Bhopal, India. He served as the nodal officer for India’s national COVID-19 vaccination programme, for which the national COVID-19 vaccination programme team, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, received the Prime Minister’s Award for excellence in public administration. He has published several papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals and has authored multiple books.

Dr. Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal completed his MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India, and his MD in community health administration from the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. He was the former additional commissioner in charge of the immunization and COVID-19 vaccination program at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Currently, Dr. Aggarwal is the director of the immunization program at the William J. Clinton Foundation (WJCF). He is also an expert member on three committees constituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, including the National AEFI Committee; the Standing Working Group on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (SWG-VPD) Surveillance under the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI); and the standing working group on immunization, vaccine research, and capacity building (SWG-IVCRB) under NTAGI. Dr. Aggarwal has published several papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals.

Dr. Narendra Kumar Arora (MD, MMSc [Clinical Epidemiology]) completed his MD in pediatrics from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, and MMSc in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Newcastle, Australia. Dr. Arora is member of numerous national policy making, scientific, research, and academic committees constituted under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and University Grants Commission (UGC) for maternal and child health, vaccine R&D and health systems in India. Currently, Dr. Arora is the chair of the COVID-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), India, and also chair of several vaccine, drug, and diagnostic development related task forces in India; he is a member of the WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), and WHO’s scientific and technical advisory group for maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health and nutrition (STAGE); has been co-chair of WHO-STAGE for Immunization. He has published several papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals.