Coronavirus | India has capacity to store vaccines requiring low temperatures: Centre to SC

India has the capacity to store vaccines that will require a decrease temperature within the vary of minus 15 to minus 20 levels Celsius and there are over 29,000 chilly chain factors (CCPs) throughout the nation the place vaccines are saved on the really useful temperatures, the Centre has advised the Supreme Court.

In an affidavit filed within the apex courtroom in a suo motu case on distribution of important provides and providers through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre has mentioned that at current, the 2 vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — are required to be saved at a temperature vary of two to eight levels Celsius.

The Centre has mentioned the requirement for chilly storage might change with the arrival of different COVID-19 vaccines sooner or later and it’s absolutely ready to take acceptable steps as and when such vaccines can be found.

“The country also has the capacity to store vaccines which may require a lower temperature in the range of minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Centigrade. The Sputnik V vaccine requires storage at minus 18 degrees Centigrade,” mentioned the affidavit filed on Saturday.

“It is submitted that there are more than 29,000 cold chain points (CCPs) across the country in States/UTs, where the vaccines are stored at recommended temperatures,” it mentioned, including, “Of the above CCPs, four national level stores i.e. Government Medical Store Depot (GMSD) are managed by the Government of India and the remaining are managed by the respective State/UT governments,” it added.

It mentioned there are 37 state vaccine shops, 114 regional vaccine shops, 723 district vaccine shops and 28,268 sub-district vaccine shops.

The affidavit mentioned that based mostly on the requirement of each the common immunisation programme and COVID-19 vaccination, the federal government has centrally procured and equipped chilly chain gear (CCE) to the states and Union territories (UTs).

“Further, funds are allocated to the states/UTs under the National Health Mission-Programme Implementation Plan (NHM-PIP) for maintenance of CCEs and also for provisioning cold chain technicians (CCTs) for undertaking the repair and maintenance of CCEs,” it mentioned.

The affidavit mentioned there are 29,116 CCPs, positioned from the nationwide to the sub-district stage throughout the nation, which have CCEs like walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, ice-lined fridges, deep freezers, chilly bins for the storage of vaccines and freezing of ice packs.

“The capacity of these CCPs has been augmented for the COVID-19 vaccination drive,” it mentioned.

The affidavit mentioned the chilly storage gear procured by the federal government via the home funds is indigenously manufactured.

“The cold storage equipment supplied as aid by the donors i.e. UNICEF constitutes both indigenously-manufactured equipment and imported equipment,” it mentioned.

In the affidavit, the Centre has additionally that the digital divide isn’t any extra a constraint as walk-in Covid vaccination has been allowed and a poor particular person and a multi-millionaire within the 18 years and above age group are equally entitled to get the vaccine at no cost.

Till June 25, over 31 crore doses of the Covid vaccines have been administered within the nation, the federal government has mentioned whereas responding to a slew of questions raised by the apex courtroom in its May 31 order.