EVIN: India’s Plan to store COVID-19 Vaccines

The Government of India has started to identify private facilities and government facilities to create a hub to store COVID-19 vaccines. India is under the plan of rolling out multiple vaccines for COVID-19. The Government of India is to use the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (EVIN) to store the vaccine.

Highlights

The Government is making logistical arrangements to procure, store, and distribute COVID-19 vaccines for their uninterrupted delivery. The expert group on Vaccine Administration under Dr V K Paul was deployed earlier. The group has mapped the cold storage units in the country.

eVIN

The Government of India has planned real time tracking of vaccine movement through eVIN. eVIN is currently being used for immunization programme in India. EVIN will conduct real-time tracking of vaccine.

The eVIN is used to monitor supply chain of COVID-19 response material. It was an indigenously developed system that is now being used to monitor supply chain of COVID-19 response material.

The eVIN system digitizes vaccine stocks. Also, it monitors the temperature of cold chain. The eVIN system aims to strengthen immunization supply chain system.

The network is implemented by the National Health Mission in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.

eVIN provides integrated solution such as Technology, Governance and Human Resources. It provides online real-time information about vaccine stocks. It will systemize record keeping, ensure evidence-based decision making. Also, eVIN will help in empowering cold chain networks. It will build capacities of handlers of COVID-19 vaccine supply.

Current Scenario

India currently has more than 27,000 vaccine storage centres. They are connected through eVIN with at least 50,000 temperature loggers to monitor storage temperatures. India has still not fixed the prices of the doses. This is because, most of the vaccines are two-dose vaccines in the world and many are still under development.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2020