HEALTHCARE experts on Sunday warned that an inappropriate methodology in setting priorities for Covid-19 vaccination would trigger “chaos” in the country. The government has already prioritised some groups of people considering their ages and professions for the vaccination programme, but it could prove ineffective once the vaccine arrives as many influential people could flex their muscles to get inoculated. The warnings came at a virtual dialogue on ‘Access to Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh, Who, When and How?’ organised by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.
To avert such unexpected incidents, they suggested the application of antibody screening of the people, which will show the individuals lack antibodies. Alongside the public procurement, they recommended allowing the private sector to import the Covid vaccines.
We know that these so-called influential people will take any chance for survival like they did before in the year when they snatched oxygen cylinders. We know that all the people do not need vaccines. People having low-level or no antibodies must be vaccinated. The government can use a rapid test to screen people.
The test will help reduce the possible scope for misuse. After that, the government needs to monitor the efficacy or side effects of the vaccines as 10-month research is not enough to certify the dose is effective. Also the government should go for a steady purchase of vaccines as the cold-chain storage in the country may not be able to hold millions of doses simultaneously.
Deputy Commissioners are being made the district heads of the committee instead of civil surgeons. We know from the recent past that when the relief amounts were made available there were many instances of corruption. Why then haven’t the civil surgeons, who have more knowledge of the situation, been made the executors of the programme?
Administrative, democratic and social accountability are the need of the hour for ensuring the efficient service delivery. The vaccination programme can’t be executed poorly like the relief packages because we are dealing with lives here. The temptation of ensuring that the rich and politically influential elite appropriate the vaccine is going to be tremendous but will the local administrations rise to the challenge? It remains to be seen.
