Frontlist | National chemist association offers help: COVID vaccine delivery

Frontlist | National chemist association offers help: COVID vaccine delivery
on Oct 22, 2020

After private hospitals, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has come forward to offer help to the Indian government with the delivery of vaccine against coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The government is currently making logistical arrangements for the procurement, storage and delivery of the vaccine against Covid-19, whenever it is available for use. In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the president of the association JS Shinde, and honorary general secretary, Rajiv Singhal, have urged him to utilise the established supply chain for vaccine distribution. According to estimates, there are about 8.5 lakh brick and mortar chemist and druggist stores currently operating in the country. “Our country is passing through challenging situations of COVID-19 Pandemic… We 8.50 lakh members of AIOCD assure you that our members will actively support by making medicines available without any interruption. Also, vaccines require an unpoured line of cold chain, right from production point to delivery and administration of dose to a person. Here to before all kinds of vaccines have been successfully distributed by our members’ year on year. All required infrastructure is available with those of our trade members to manage intact cold chain with experience,” the letter read. The members recently had an online meeting with the president of the organisation, wherein they gave their consent to help with the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine. “We request you to advise concerned ministries and departments to issue guidelines for use of our channel members for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines,” the letter further read. Over a 100 vaccine candidates are currently under various stages of trial across the globe. In India, at least three vaccine candidates, including two indigenously developed ones, are in the advanced stages of clinical trials. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, World Health Organization chief scientist, on Wednesday said that at least a couple of vaccines could be available for use against Covid-19 by early 2021. The members recently had an online meeting with the president of the organisation, wherein they gave their consent to help with the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine. “We request you to advise concerned ministries and departments to issue guidelines for use of our channel members for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines,” the letter further read. Over a 100 vaccine candidates are currently under various stages of trial across the globe. In India, at least three vaccine candidates, including two indigenously developed ones, are in the advanced stages of clinical trials. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, World Health Organization chief scientist, on Wednesday said that at least a couple of vaccines could be available for use against Covid-19 by early 2021.